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TRANSCRIPT
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EPA CONTRACT NO 68-W6-0042 EPA WORK ASSIGNMENT NO 052-RICO-01N9
EPA Project Officer Diana King EPA Remedial Project Manager Leslie McVickar
COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN FOR
REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION
Pownal Tannery Superfund Site Pownal Vermont
October 2000
Prepared By
Metcalf amp Eddy Inc 30 Harvard Mill Square Wakefield MA 01880
Team Subcontractor TRC Environmental Corporation
Boott Mills South Foot of John Street Lowell MA 01852
(978) 970-5600
POWNAL TANNERY SUPERFUND SITE NORTH POWNAL VERMONT
COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN
The U S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently at work investigating contamination at the Pownal Tannery Superfund hazardous waste site in North Pownal Vermont (the Site) This Community Relations Plan identifies issues of community concern and outlines planned EPA activities to address the site-related informational needs of the North Pownal area The goal of the community relations plan for this area is 1) to help the public understand the activities being undertaken at the Site and why such measures are to be undertaken and 2) to assist the public in their understanding of Site conditions in order to exercise a voice in EPA decisions regarding how to address the risks posed by the Site
This document is designed for use by both the public and agency personnel working on the Site investigation and selection of a method to address the contamination at the former tannery The EPA is conducting the investigation and cleanup of the Site It is intended that the agencies involved in this investigation and evaluation of alternatives to address Site contamination use this report to better understand and respond to community issues needs and concerns Citizens are encouraged to use this report to learn whether their particular concerns have been noted by the EPA and how to become informed and involved during the investigation and activities to address contamination at the Site
The information in this plan is based primarily on discussions conducted in North Pownal with area residents and town officials on April 6 and 7 1998 as well as observations made through less formal interviews and conversations with local residents and town officials in the spring of 2000 In general the community is aware of Site and EP As activities Many local residents have lived in Pownal for many years and are knowledgeable about tannery operations and some of the tannery disposal practices Many local residents relayed stories of working in the tannery and of other information about how the tannery operated including how waste was handled and disposed
Those with concerns not noted in this report are encouraged to contact the EPA at the address and telephone numbers listed at the end of this document
This report is organized as follows
bull Site Description bull Community Profile bull Community Involvement and Concerns bull Objectives of this Community Relations Program bull Planned Community Relations Activities bull Timing of Community Relations Activities bull Attachments List of Contacts and Interested Parties and Location of Information Repositories
and Public Meetings
Pagel
Site Description
Figure 1 shows the location of the Pownal Tannery Site located on State Route 346 in the Town of North Pownal Bennington County Vermont The Site consists of two properties The southern property contains the former tannery buildings and the nearby sludge lagoons and occupies approximately 30 acres This property has frontage on State Route 346 to the south and is bordered by the Hoosic River to the west railroad tracks and a residential area to the east and cornfields to the north The property includes five lagoons several former tannery buildings and a warehouse A landfill was constructed on the second property located one-half mile south of the tannery process building and was used by the tannery to receive sludge from the and lagoons
The Pownal Tanning Company operated the facility from approximately 1935 until 1988 when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1987 and ceased operations The tanning of cow and sheep hides used a variety of processes to remove the animal fats and tissues from the hides and to prepare the hides for tanning coloring and finishing From approximately 1937 until 1962 untreated tanning process wastewater was discharged directly into the Hoosic River via trenches in the basement of the tannery building complex A separate process building and lagoon system were constructed during the period from 1962 through 1971 to receive and provide limited physical treatment of the tannery waste water In 1982 a State permitted lined landfill was constructed on the smaller property to receive dewatered sludge from the lagoons The landfill was partially covered In 1983 a portion of the lagoons was covered
A final Site investigation to identify the full nature and extent of site contamination known as the Remedial Investigation (RI) and a study to identify potential options for addressing contamination at the Site known to as the Feasibility Study (FS) is being developed by EPA Field studies associated with the RI began in the winter of 2000 and will last for approximately one year The RI is expected to be completed by January 2001 and the FS document is expected to be completed by June 2001 A plan detailing EPAs preferred alternative to address Site contamination and potential exposure risks will be presented to the community in a Proposed Plan for formal public comment in Spring 2001
In addition to these studies EPA is currently in the process of completing a Non-Time Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) to decontaminate and demolish the tannery buildings excavate and dispose of contaminated soil contained in the building footprint and to construct a permanent multi-layered cap over the landfill
Community Profile
North Pownal is not separately incorporated but is part of the town of Pownal Vermont Pownal was incorporated in 1767 The current population of North Pownal is approximately 3530
Page 2
FORMER MANUFACTURING
O
BASE MAP IS A PORTION OF THE FOLLOWING 75 USCS QUADRANGLES NORTH POWNAL VT-NY 1954 PHOTOREVISED 1980 POWNAL VERMONT 1954
Boon Mills South Foot of John Street Lowell MA 0185
Figure 1 SITE LOCATION MAP TRC
(978)970 5600 1000 2000 3000
REMEDIAL INVESTIGATIONFEASIBILITY STUDY QUADRANGLE LOCATION TRCPROJ NO 02136-0220 01N91 POWNAL TANNERY
scale in feet POWNAL VERMONT EPA CONTRACT NO 68-W6 O042
RAC SUBCONTRACTOR NO 107061 Metcalf amp Eddy
Figure 1-1
Page 3
The Town has a few small industrial businesses but several private and commercial farms that produce milk fruits and vegetables are located in the Town Local educational institutions include only one grammar school (K-6) The middle school and high school are located in Bennington Vermont
North Pownal is governed by a Select Board of five members Three of the Select Board are elected for three year terms on a rotating basis (ie one three year term is elected each year) and the other two members are elected annually for one year terms The Select Board has governing authority for the Town and all budgetary decisions are subject to Select Board approval All appointments to local boards are also made by the Select Board
Community Involvement and Concerns
Bennington County has had significant community exposure to Superfund Site cleanups over the past several years since there are three other Superfund sites located nearby in the Town of Bennington Vermont (Bennington Landfill Tansitor Electronics and Burgess Brothers)
In 1998 when EPA last conducted formal community interviews interest and concern over the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site was relatively high EPA has held a number of public meetings at the site since it was added to the National Priorities List (1998) EPA has also produced three Fact Sheets during this time period to aid in keeping the community informed about site plans and activities
Since 1998 a number of citizen concerns related to the building and landfill have been addressed through the Non-Time Critical Removal Action conducted at the Site
Nevertheless community interest and concern remains high at the site In 1999 the Town of Pownal was awarded a $100000 grant from EPA to evaluate redevelopment opportunities at the site after cleanup is accomplished The Town quickly formed a Reuse Committee comprised of local residents and town officials to guide the site evaluation The Town then hired a planning consultant to carry out the details of the evaluation and that project is ongoing
Despite the various cleanup activities conducted by EPA to address the contamination in the abandoned building and the landfill (Time Critical Removal Action completed by EPA in 1994 and Non-Time Critical Removal Action that is scheduled for completion in December 2000) community concern at the site is still high as the lagoons ground water and the Hoosic River impacts have not yet been assessed
A summary of the current citizen and Town concerns is presented below
Page 4
Economic Impact
bull One of the Towns primary concerns regarding the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site is that there is a significant unpaid tax bill on the property (over $280000)
Town Reuse of the Site
bull The Town is interested in using the Site for a beneficial purpose once the contamination is addressed Towards that end the Town received a $100000 grant from EPA to study potential plans for reuse of the Site The primary Site use being considered by the Town is for construction of a new waste water treatment plant to alleviate the current condition of direct sewage discharge to the river Additional reuse plans may include nature trails athletic fields and other recreational uses that may involve access to the river
bull The Town is concerned over whether the EPA cleanup alternative selected for the Site will accommodate their plans for reuse For example depending upon the portion of the lagoon area that may need to cleaned up and the cleanup method that EPA selects the Town might have more or less difficulty in siting the proposed waste water treatment plant
Public Health amp Safety Issues
bull During the time period when the tannery was operating (the tannery closed in 1987) odors from the facility were noticeable and objectionable Once the plant operation ceased the odor problem reduced significantly
bull Some residents have expressed health concerns over the quality of their water since there is no public water supply and all water used by local residents is from private water wells
bull One major concern in the Town is the discharge of raw sewage directly into the Hoosic River There is at least one open sewage discharge to the Hoosic River contained within the Site boundary
Security
Town residents and officials previously raised issues about site security as the Site was not fenced and there were no signs posted to indicate that the area contained hazardous chemicals This issue has been largely addressed in the Landfill and former Tannery building areas through EPAs recent removal efforts The Lagoon area is partially fenced and vehicle access is restricted by a locked gate though small off-road vehicles can still gain access in places The perimeter of the lagoon area is posted with signs indicating the presence of hazardous wastes
Page 5
bull Trespassing continues to be a problem in the lagoon area as local residents use the area for a variety of recreational purposes including hunting fishing and off-road motoring
Objectives of this Community Relations Program
The EPA has developed a focused community relations program to address the needs of the North Pownal community expressed during the interviews A guiding principle of all community relations activities will be to keep communications as simple and direct as possible while still providing sufficient information for people to fully understand what is happening at the Site The EPA will seek to educate local residents of the activities occurring at the Site the purpose of these activities and regarding the Superfund process
The EPA will work closely with local contacts where possible to monitor changes in community concern and to adjust this community relations program as needed
Planned Community Relations Activities
The following EPA activities to inform and involve those interested in the Pownal Tannery Site include actions required by the Superfund law and activities developed specifically to respond to the interests expressed during interviews with community members
Establish Information Contacts
The EPA has named the individuals listed below as contacts for Site information
Leslie McVickar EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1374
and
Sara White EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1026
and
Page 6
Brian Woods Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury Vermont 05671 (802) 241-3885
The EPA will include the names and phone numbers of these contacts in all public informational documents and news releases
Establish and Maintain Information Repositories
The EPA will send fact sheets technical summaries site reports general Superfund information and other Site related material to the information repository in North Pownal Vermont and Boston Massachusetts to insure information is readily available to all interested parties The EPA has established information repositories at the North Pownal Public Library as well as at the EPA Records Center in Boston The address telephone number and hours of operation are listed at the end of this document The information repository will be maintained for the duration of Superfund related activities and information will be added as it becomes available
Maintain a Site Mailing List
The EPA will include all interested officials residents community groups and news media outlets serving the North Pownal area on a site mailing list To promote the widest possible outreach to interested parties the EPA will mail all fact sheets news releases and other site-related information to everyone on the mailing list The EPA will update the mailing list to include anyone who provides their name and address on sign-in sheets posted at the entrance to public meetings and information sessions concerning the site Additionally fact sheets will includea coupon to return to the EPA for those individuals wanting to be added or deleted from the mailing list Those wanting to be added to the list can also write or call one of the contacts listed in Appendix A
Issue News Releases
The EPA will issue press releases to the news media and to those on the site mailing list to announce public meetings public comment periods initiation of phases of site work results of site investigations the release of reports and EPA decisions on how to proceed at the Site
Issue Public Notice
The EPA will place formal paid public notices in the Bennington Banner to announce the following
Availability of a Site Administrative Record which is the file of information upon which the EPA will base its decision on how to address contamination at the site
Page
Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
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(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
fsectF K 2 deg 2 vraquo sect k-g I poundbull deg~ 3-3 I bull= |sect|--iEshy
S3 l82 t f BI 953 ll
idoS^p^
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1HK
poundpoundSr^5V3^^^ampampampV2^^ fmdashbull _-v^ fj -f jv-jV- C2spoundJgt5w5iiSiJ ^^^^^^f^ ^^euro^^^^3^ i -4 -bull
Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
f rfJ-fJt-~~ -laquo~ - - _ ^fTCvVw^T
ks ii If
raquoJpT 13 bullpound5
W raquo
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laquo$poundpoundS
VWJ Ifris
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v -VS ^i^ri
bull laquogtraquoraquoTraquorlaquo r-
BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
JS^V^SaCljC l 4 raquo=^
l^^^^^^sae^^ bulliSsSStfaI uporso^^^^ ssue TW cUlaquoP^^STis$2tm^n VaflUW
^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
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Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
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idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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8299 7-71 rgt
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
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begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
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bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
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TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
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TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
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POWNAL TANNERY SUPERFUND SITE NORTH POWNAL VERMONT
COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN
The U S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently at work investigating contamination at the Pownal Tannery Superfund hazardous waste site in North Pownal Vermont (the Site) This Community Relations Plan identifies issues of community concern and outlines planned EPA activities to address the site-related informational needs of the North Pownal area The goal of the community relations plan for this area is 1) to help the public understand the activities being undertaken at the Site and why such measures are to be undertaken and 2) to assist the public in their understanding of Site conditions in order to exercise a voice in EPA decisions regarding how to address the risks posed by the Site
This document is designed for use by both the public and agency personnel working on the Site investigation and selection of a method to address the contamination at the former tannery The EPA is conducting the investigation and cleanup of the Site It is intended that the agencies involved in this investigation and evaluation of alternatives to address Site contamination use this report to better understand and respond to community issues needs and concerns Citizens are encouraged to use this report to learn whether their particular concerns have been noted by the EPA and how to become informed and involved during the investigation and activities to address contamination at the Site
The information in this plan is based primarily on discussions conducted in North Pownal with area residents and town officials on April 6 and 7 1998 as well as observations made through less formal interviews and conversations with local residents and town officials in the spring of 2000 In general the community is aware of Site and EP As activities Many local residents have lived in Pownal for many years and are knowledgeable about tannery operations and some of the tannery disposal practices Many local residents relayed stories of working in the tannery and of other information about how the tannery operated including how waste was handled and disposed
Those with concerns not noted in this report are encouraged to contact the EPA at the address and telephone numbers listed at the end of this document
This report is organized as follows
bull Site Description bull Community Profile bull Community Involvement and Concerns bull Objectives of this Community Relations Program bull Planned Community Relations Activities bull Timing of Community Relations Activities bull Attachments List of Contacts and Interested Parties and Location of Information Repositories
and Public Meetings
Pagel
Site Description
Figure 1 shows the location of the Pownal Tannery Site located on State Route 346 in the Town of North Pownal Bennington County Vermont The Site consists of two properties The southern property contains the former tannery buildings and the nearby sludge lagoons and occupies approximately 30 acres This property has frontage on State Route 346 to the south and is bordered by the Hoosic River to the west railroad tracks and a residential area to the east and cornfields to the north The property includes five lagoons several former tannery buildings and a warehouse A landfill was constructed on the second property located one-half mile south of the tannery process building and was used by the tannery to receive sludge from the and lagoons
The Pownal Tanning Company operated the facility from approximately 1935 until 1988 when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1987 and ceased operations The tanning of cow and sheep hides used a variety of processes to remove the animal fats and tissues from the hides and to prepare the hides for tanning coloring and finishing From approximately 1937 until 1962 untreated tanning process wastewater was discharged directly into the Hoosic River via trenches in the basement of the tannery building complex A separate process building and lagoon system were constructed during the period from 1962 through 1971 to receive and provide limited physical treatment of the tannery waste water In 1982 a State permitted lined landfill was constructed on the smaller property to receive dewatered sludge from the lagoons The landfill was partially covered In 1983 a portion of the lagoons was covered
A final Site investigation to identify the full nature and extent of site contamination known as the Remedial Investigation (RI) and a study to identify potential options for addressing contamination at the Site known to as the Feasibility Study (FS) is being developed by EPA Field studies associated with the RI began in the winter of 2000 and will last for approximately one year The RI is expected to be completed by January 2001 and the FS document is expected to be completed by June 2001 A plan detailing EPAs preferred alternative to address Site contamination and potential exposure risks will be presented to the community in a Proposed Plan for formal public comment in Spring 2001
In addition to these studies EPA is currently in the process of completing a Non-Time Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) to decontaminate and demolish the tannery buildings excavate and dispose of contaminated soil contained in the building footprint and to construct a permanent multi-layered cap over the landfill
Community Profile
North Pownal is not separately incorporated but is part of the town of Pownal Vermont Pownal was incorporated in 1767 The current population of North Pownal is approximately 3530
Page 2
FORMER MANUFACTURING
O
BASE MAP IS A PORTION OF THE FOLLOWING 75 USCS QUADRANGLES NORTH POWNAL VT-NY 1954 PHOTOREVISED 1980 POWNAL VERMONT 1954
Boon Mills South Foot of John Street Lowell MA 0185
Figure 1 SITE LOCATION MAP TRC
(978)970 5600 1000 2000 3000
REMEDIAL INVESTIGATIONFEASIBILITY STUDY QUADRANGLE LOCATION TRCPROJ NO 02136-0220 01N91 POWNAL TANNERY
scale in feet POWNAL VERMONT EPA CONTRACT NO 68-W6 O042
RAC SUBCONTRACTOR NO 107061 Metcalf amp Eddy
Figure 1-1
Page 3
The Town has a few small industrial businesses but several private and commercial farms that produce milk fruits and vegetables are located in the Town Local educational institutions include only one grammar school (K-6) The middle school and high school are located in Bennington Vermont
North Pownal is governed by a Select Board of five members Three of the Select Board are elected for three year terms on a rotating basis (ie one three year term is elected each year) and the other two members are elected annually for one year terms The Select Board has governing authority for the Town and all budgetary decisions are subject to Select Board approval All appointments to local boards are also made by the Select Board
Community Involvement and Concerns
Bennington County has had significant community exposure to Superfund Site cleanups over the past several years since there are three other Superfund sites located nearby in the Town of Bennington Vermont (Bennington Landfill Tansitor Electronics and Burgess Brothers)
In 1998 when EPA last conducted formal community interviews interest and concern over the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site was relatively high EPA has held a number of public meetings at the site since it was added to the National Priorities List (1998) EPA has also produced three Fact Sheets during this time period to aid in keeping the community informed about site plans and activities
Since 1998 a number of citizen concerns related to the building and landfill have been addressed through the Non-Time Critical Removal Action conducted at the Site
Nevertheless community interest and concern remains high at the site In 1999 the Town of Pownal was awarded a $100000 grant from EPA to evaluate redevelopment opportunities at the site after cleanup is accomplished The Town quickly formed a Reuse Committee comprised of local residents and town officials to guide the site evaluation The Town then hired a planning consultant to carry out the details of the evaluation and that project is ongoing
Despite the various cleanup activities conducted by EPA to address the contamination in the abandoned building and the landfill (Time Critical Removal Action completed by EPA in 1994 and Non-Time Critical Removal Action that is scheduled for completion in December 2000) community concern at the site is still high as the lagoons ground water and the Hoosic River impacts have not yet been assessed
A summary of the current citizen and Town concerns is presented below
Page 4
Economic Impact
bull One of the Towns primary concerns regarding the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site is that there is a significant unpaid tax bill on the property (over $280000)
Town Reuse of the Site
bull The Town is interested in using the Site for a beneficial purpose once the contamination is addressed Towards that end the Town received a $100000 grant from EPA to study potential plans for reuse of the Site The primary Site use being considered by the Town is for construction of a new waste water treatment plant to alleviate the current condition of direct sewage discharge to the river Additional reuse plans may include nature trails athletic fields and other recreational uses that may involve access to the river
bull The Town is concerned over whether the EPA cleanup alternative selected for the Site will accommodate their plans for reuse For example depending upon the portion of the lagoon area that may need to cleaned up and the cleanup method that EPA selects the Town might have more or less difficulty in siting the proposed waste water treatment plant
Public Health amp Safety Issues
bull During the time period when the tannery was operating (the tannery closed in 1987) odors from the facility were noticeable and objectionable Once the plant operation ceased the odor problem reduced significantly
bull Some residents have expressed health concerns over the quality of their water since there is no public water supply and all water used by local residents is from private water wells
bull One major concern in the Town is the discharge of raw sewage directly into the Hoosic River There is at least one open sewage discharge to the Hoosic River contained within the Site boundary
Security
Town residents and officials previously raised issues about site security as the Site was not fenced and there were no signs posted to indicate that the area contained hazardous chemicals This issue has been largely addressed in the Landfill and former Tannery building areas through EPAs recent removal efforts The Lagoon area is partially fenced and vehicle access is restricted by a locked gate though small off-road vehicles can still gain access in places The perimeter of the lagoon area is posted with signs indicating the presence of hazardous wastes
Page 5
bull Trespassing continues to be a problem in the lagoon area as local residents use the area for a variety of recreational purposes including hunting fishing and off-road motoring
Objectives of this Community Relations Program
The EPA has developed a focused community relations program to address the needs of the North Pownal community expressed during the interviews A guiding principle of all community relations activities will be to keep communications as simple and direct as possible while still providing sufficient information for people to fully understand what is happening at the Site The EPA will seek to educate local residents of the activities occurring at the Site the purpose of these activities and regarding the Superfund process
The EPA will work closely with local contacts where possible to monitor changes in community concern and to adjust this community relations program as needed
Planned Community Relations Activities
The following EPA activities to inform and involve those interested in the Pownal Tannery Site include actions required by the Superfund law and activities developed specifically to respond to the interests expressed during interviews with community members
Establish Information Contacts
The EPA has named the individuals listed below as contacts for Site information
Leslie McVickar EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1374
and
Sara White EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1026
and
Page 6
Brian Woods Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury Vermont 05671 (802) 241-3885
The EPA will include the names and phone numbers of these contacts in all public informational documents and news releases
Establish and Maintain Information Repositories
The EPA will send fact sheets technical summaries site reports general Superfund information and other Site related material to the information repository in North Pownal Vermont and Boston Massachusetts to insure information is readily available to all interested parties The EPA has established information repositories at the North Pownal Public Library as well as at the EPA Records Center in Boston The address telephone number and hours of operation are listed at the end of this document The information repository will be maintained for the duration of Superfund related activities and information will be added as it becomes available
Maintain a Site Mailing List
The EPA will include all interested officials residents community groups and news media outlets serving the North Pownal area on a site mailing list To promote the widest possible outreach to interested parties the EPA will mail all fact sheets news releases and other site-related information to everyone on the mailing list The EPA will update the mailing list to include anyone who provides their name and address on sign-in sheets posted at the entrance to public meetings and information sessions concerning the site Additionally fact sheets will includea coupon to return to the EPA for those individuals wanting to be added or deleted from the mailing list Those wanting to be added to the list can also write or call one of the contacts listed in Appendix A
Issue News Releases
The EPA will issue press releases to the news media and to those on the site mailing list to announce public meetings public comment periods initiation of phases of site work results of site investigations the release of reports and EPA decisions on how to proceed at the Site
Issue Public Notice
The EPA will place formal paid public notices in the Bennington Banner to announce the following
Availability of a Site Administrative Record which is the file of information upon which the EPA will base its decision on how to address contamination at the site
Page
Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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SO
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T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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ks ii If
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BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
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^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
Regional news All Northeast Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Maine Vermont Connecticut New York
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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Click here tot reai estate brohois
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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8299 7-71 rgt
HA D4HV OC-00
3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
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Site Description
Figure 1 shows the location of the Pownal Tannery Site located on State Route 346 in the Town of North Pownal Bennington County Vermont The Site consists of two properties The southern property contains the former tannery buildings and the nearby sludge lagoons and occupies approximately 30 acres This property has frontage on State Route 346 to the south and is bordered by the Hoosic River to the west railroad tracks and a residential area to the east and cornfields to the north The property includes five lagoons several former tannery buildings and a warehouse A landfill was constructed on the second property located one-half mile south of the tannery process building and was used by the tannery to receive sludge from the and lagoons
The Pownal Tanning Company operated the facility from approximately 1935 until 1988 when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1987 and ceased operations The tanning of cow and sheep hides used a variety of processes to remove the animal fats and tissues from the hides and to prepare the hides for tanning coloring and finishing From approximately 1937 until 1962 untreated tanning process wastewater was discharged directly into the Hoosic River via trenches in the basement of the tannery building complex A separate process building and lagoon system were constructed during the period from 1962 through 1971 to receive and provide limited physical treatment of the tannery waste water In 1982 a State permitted lined landfill was constructed on the smaller property to receive dewatered sludge from the lagoons The landfill was partially covered In 1983 a portion of the lagoons was covered
A final Site investigation to identify the full nature and extent of site contamination known as the Remedial Investigation (RI) and a study to identify potential options for addressing contamination at the Site known to as the Feasibility Study (FS) is being developed by EPA Field studies associated with the RI began in the winter of 2000 and will last for approximately one year The RI is expected to be completed by January 2001 and the FS document is expected to be completed by June 2001 A plan detailing EPAs preferred alternative to address Site contamination and potential exposure risks will be presented to the community in a Proposed Plan for formal public comment in Spring 2001
In addition to these studies EPA is currently in the process of completing a Non-Time Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) to decontaminate and demolish the tannery buildings excavate and dispose of contaminated soil contained in the building footprint and to construct a permanent multi-layered cap over the landfill
Community Profile
North Pownal is not separately incorporated but is part of the town of Pownal Vermont Pownal was incorporated in 1767 The current population of North Pownal is approximately 3530
Page 2
FORMER MANUFACTURING
O
BASE MAP IS A PORTION OF THE FOLLOWING 75 USCS QUADRANGLES NORTH POWNAL VT-NY 1954 PHOTOREVISED 1980 POWNAL VERMONT 1954
Boon Mills South Foot of John Street Lowell MA 0185
Figure 1 SITE LOCATION MAP TRC
(978)970 5600 1000 2000 3000
REMEDIAL INVESTIGATIONFEASIBILITY STUDY QUADRANGLE LOCATION TRCPROJ NO 02136-0220 01N91 POWNAL TANNERY
scale in feet POWNAL VERMONT EPA CONTRACT NO 68-W6 O042
RAC SUBCONTRACTOR NO 107061 Metcalf amp Eddy
Figure 1-1
Page 3
The Town has a few small industrial businesses but several private and commercial farms that produce milk fruits and vegetables are located in the Town Local educational institutions include only one grammar school (K-6) The middle school and high school are located in Bennington Vermont
North Pownal is governed by a Select Board of five members Three of the Select Board are elected for three year terms on a rotating basis (ie one three year term is elected each year) and the other two members are elected annually for one year terms The Select Board has governing authority for the Town and all budgetary decisions are subject to Select Board approval All appointments to local boards are also made by the Select Board
Community Involvement and Concerns
Bennington County has had significant community exposure to Superfund Site cleanups over the past several years since there are three other Superfund sites located nearby in the Town of Bennington Vermont (Bennington Landfill Tansitor Electronics and Burgess Brothers)
In 1998 when EPA last conducted formal community interviews interest and concern over the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site was relatively high EPA has held a number of public meetings at the site since it was added to the National Priorities List (1998) EPA has also produced three Fact Sheets during this time period to aid in keeping the community informed about site plans and activities
Since 1998 a number of citizen concerns related to the building and landfill have been addressed through the Non-Time Critical Removal Action conducted at the Site
Nevertheless community interest and concern remains high at the site In 1999 the Town of Pownal was awarded a $100000 grant from EPA to evaluate redevelopment opportunities at the site after cleanup is accomplished The Town quickly formed a Reuse Committee comprised of local residents and town officials to guide the site evaluation The Town then hired a planning consultant to carry out the details of the evaluation and that project is ongoing
Despite the various cleanup activities conducted by EPA to address the contamination in the abandoned building and the landfill (Time Critical Removal Action completed by EPA in 1994 and Non-Time Critical Removal Action that is scheduled for completion in December 2000) community concern at the site is still high as the lagoons ground water and the Hoosic River impacts have not yet been assessed
A summary of the current citizen and Town concerns is presented below
Page 4
Economic Impact
bull One of the Towns primary concerns regarding the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site is that there is a significant unpaid tax bill on the property (over $280000)
Town Reuse of the Site
bull The Town is interested in using the Site for a beneficial purpose once the contamination is addressed Towards that end the Town received a $100000 grant from EPA to study potential plans for reuse of the Site The primary Site use being considered by the Town is for construction of a new waste water treatment plant to alleviate the current condition of direct sewage discharge to the river Additional reuse plans may include nature trails athletic fields and other recreational uses that may involve access to the river
bull The Town is concerned over whether the EPA cleanup alternative selected for the Site will accommodate their plans for reuse For example depending upon the portion of the lagoon area that may need to cleaned up and the cleanup method that EPA selects the Town might have more or less difficulty in siting the proposed waste water treatment plant
Public Health amp Safety Issues
bull During the time period when the tannery was operating (the tannery closed in 1987) odors from the facility were noticeable and objectionable Once the plant operation ceased the odor problem reduced significantly
bull Some residents have expressed health concerns over the quality of their water since there is no public water supply and all water used by local residents is from private water wells
bull One major concern in the Town is the discharge of raw sewage directly into the Hoosic River There is at least one open sewage discharge to the Hoosic River contained within the Site boundary
Security
Town residents and officials previously raised issues about site security as the Site was not fenced and there were no signs posted to indicate that the area contained hazardous chemicals This issue has been largely addressed in the Landfill and former Tannery building areas through EPAs recent removal efforts The Lagoon area is partially fenced and vehicle access is restricted by a locked gate though small off-road vehicles can still gain access in places The perimeter of the lagoon area is posted with signs indicating the presence of hazardous wastes
Page 5
bull Trespassing continues to be a problem in the lagoon area as local residents use the area for a variety of recreational purposes including hunting fishing and off-road motoring
Objectives of this Community Relations Program
The EPA has developed a focused community relations program to address the needs of the North Pownal community expressed during the interviews A guiding principle of all community relations activities will be to keep communications as simple and direct as possible while still providing sufficient information for people to fully understand what is happening at the Site The EPA will seek to educate local residents of the activities occurring at the Site the purpose of these activities and regarding the Superfund process
The EPA will work closely with local contacts where possible to monitor changes in community concern and to adjust this community relations program as needed
Planned Community Relations Activities
The following EPA activities to inform and involve those interested in the Pownal Tannery Site include actions required by the Superfund law and activities developed specifically to respond to the interests expressed during interviews with community members
Establish Information Contacts
The EPA has named the individuals listed below as contacts for Site information
Leslie McVickar EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1374
and
Sara White EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1026
and
Page 6
Brian Woods Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury Vermont 05671 (802) 241-3885
The EPA will include the names and phone numbers of these contacts in all public informational documents and news releases
Establish and Maintain Information Repositories
The EPA will send fact sheets technical summaries site reports general Superfund information and other Site related material to the information repository in North Pownal Vermont and Boston Massachusetts to insure information is readily available to all interested parties The EPA has established information repositories at the North Pownal Public Library as well as at the EPA Records Center in Boston The address telephone number and hours of operation are listed at the end of this document The information repository will be maintained for the duration of Superfund related activities and information will be added as it becomes available
Maintain a Site Mailing List
The EPA will include all interested officials residents community groups and news media outlets serving the North Pownal area on a site mailing list To promote the widest possible outreach to interested parties the EPA will mail all fact sheets news releases and other site-related information to everyone on the mailing list The EPA will update the mailing list to include anyone who provides their name and address on sign-in sheets posted at the entrance to public meetings and information sessions concerning the site Additionally fact sheets will includea coupon to return to the EPA for those individuals wanting to be added or deleted from the mailing list Those wanting to be added to the list can also write or call one of the contacts listed in Appendix A
Issue News Releases
The EPA will issue press releases to the news media and to those on the site mailing list to announce public meetings public comment periods initiation of phases of site work results of site investigations the release of reports and EPA decisions on how to proceed at the Site
Issue Public Notice
The EPA will place formal paid public notices in the Bennington Banner to announce the following
Availability of a Site Administrative Record which is the file of information upon which the EPA will base its decision on how to address contamination at the site
Page
Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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bulllaquorraquo 31
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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ks ii If
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bull laquogtraquoraquoTraquorlaquo r-
BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
JS^V^SaCljC l 4 raquo=^
l^^^^^^sae^^ bulliSsSStfaI uporso^^^^ ssue TW cUlaquoP^^STis$2tm^n VaflUW
^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
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TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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Click here tot reai estate brohois
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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8299 7-71 rgt
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
Mi^ll a - g a gy ^3 ||2|p 2 eolaquoaK (j S bull 55 g^-g-as-s
_-3
raquo 5 pound Kpoundn-s vbullg-lsS^-sS-gSs-ssss-ssS
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FORMER MANUFACTURING
O
BASE MAP IS A PORTION OF THE FOLLOWING 75 USCS QUADRANGLES NORTH POWNAL VT-NY 1954 PHOTOREVISED 1980 POWNAL VERMONT 1954
Boon Mills South Foot of John Street Lowell MA 0185
Figure 1 SITE LOCATION MAP TRC
(978)970 5600 1000 2000 3000
REMEDIAL INVESTIGATIONFEASIBILITY STUDY QUADRANGLE LOCATION TRCPROJ NO 02136-0220 01N91 POWNAL TANNERY
scale in feet POWNAL VERMONT EPA CONTRACT NO 68-W6 O042
RAC SUBCONTRACTOR NO 107061 Metcalf amp Eddy
Figure 1-1
Page 3
The Town has a few small industrial businesses but several private and commercial farms that produce milk fruits and vegetables are located in the Town Local educational institutions include only one grammar school (K-6) The middle school and high school are located in Bennington Vermont
North Pownal is governed by a Select Board of five members Three of the Select Board are elected for three year terms on a rotating basis (ie one three year term is elected each year) and the other two members are elected annually for one year terms The Select Board has governing authority for the Town and all budgetary decisions are subject to Select Board approval All appointments to local boards are also made by the Select Board
Community Involvement and Concerns
Bennington County has had significant community exposure to Superfund Site cleanups over the past several years since there are three other Superfund sites located nearby in the Town of Bennington Vermont (Bennington Landfill Tansitor Electronics and Burgess Brothers)
In 1998 when EPA last conducted formal community interviews interest and concern over the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site was relatively high EPA has held a number of public meetings at the site since it was added to the National Priorities List (1998) EPA has also produced three Fact Sheets during this time period to aid in keeping the community informed about site plans and activities
Since 1998 a number of citizen concerns related to the building and landfill have been addressed through the Non-Time Critical Removal Action conducted at the Site
Nevertheless community interest and concern remains high at the site In 1999 the Town of Pownal was awarded a $100000 grant from EPA to evaluate redevelopment opportunities at the site after cleanup is accomplished The Town quickly formed a Reuse Committee comprised of local residents and town officials to guide the site evaluation The Town then hired a planning consultant to carry out the details of the evaluation and that project is ongoing
Despite the various cleanup activities conducted by EPA to address the contamination in the abandoned building and the landfill (Time Critical Removal Action completed by EPA in 1994 and Non-Time Critical Removal Action that is scheduled for completion in December 2000) community concern at the site is still high as the lagoons ground water and the Hoosic River impacts have not yet been assessed
A summary of the current citizen and Town concerns is presented below
Page 4
Economic Impact
bull One of the Towns primary concerns regarding the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site is that there is a significant unpaid tax bill on the property (over $280000)
Town Reuse of the Site
bull The Town is interested in using the Site for a beneficial purpose once the contamination is addressed Towards that end the Town received a $100000 grant from EPA to study potential plans for reuse of the Site The primary Site use being considered by the Town is for construction of a new waste water treatment plant to alleviate the current condition of direct sewage discharge to the river Additional reuse plans may include nature trails athletic fields and other recreational uses that may involve access to the river
bull The Town is concerned over whether the EPA cleanup alternative selected for the Site will accommodate their plans for reuse For example depending upon the portion of the lagoon area that may need to cleaned up and the cleanup method that EPA selects the Town might have more or less difficulty in siting the proposed waste water treatment plant
Public Health amp Safety Issues
bull During the time period when the tannery was operating (the tannery closed in 1987) odors from the facility were noticeable and objectionable Once the plant operation ceased the odor problem reduced significantly
bull Some residents have expressed health concerns over the quality of their water since there is no public water supply and all water used by local residents is from private water wells
bull One major concern in the Town is the discharge of raw sewage directly into the Hoosic River There is at least one open sewage discharge to the Hoosic River contained within the Site boundary
Security
Town residents and officials previously raised issues about site security as the Site was not fenced and there were no signs posted to indicate that the area contained hazardous chemicals This issue has been largely addressed in the Landfill and former Tannery building areas through EPAs recent removal efforts The Lagoon area is partially fenced and vehicle access is restricted by a locked gate though small off-road vehicles can still gain access in places The perimeter of the lagoon area is posted with signs indicating the presence of hazardous wastes
Page 5
bull Trespassing continues to be a problem in the lagoon area as local residents use the area for a variety of recreational purposes including hunting fishing and off-road motoring
Objectives of this Community Relations Program
The EPA has developed a focused community relations program to address the needs of the North Pownal community expressed during the interviews A guiding principle of all community relations activities will be to keep communications as simple and direct as possible while still providing sufficient information for people to fully understand what is happening at the Site The EPA will seek to educate local residents of the activities occurring at the Site the purpose of these activities and regarding the Superfund process
The EPA will work closely with local contacts where possible to monitor changes in community concern and to adjust this community relations program as needed
Planned Community Relations Activities
The following EPA activities to inform and involve those interested in the Pownal Tannery Site include actions required by the Superfund law and activities developed specifically to respond to the interests expressed during interviews with community members
Establish Information Contacts
The EPA has named the individuals listed below as contacts for Site information
Leslie McVickar EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1374
and
Sara White EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1026
and
Page 6
Brian Woods Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury Vermont 05671 (802) 241-3885
The EPA will include the names and phone numbers of these contacts in all public informational documents and news releases
Establish and Maintain Information Repositories
The EPA will send fact sheets technical summaries site reports general Superfund information and other Site related material to the information repository in North Pownal Vermont and Boston Massachusetts to insure information is readily available to all interested parties The EPA has established information repositories at the North Pownal Public Library as well as at the EPA Records Center in Boston The address telephone number and hours of operation are listed at the end of this document The information repository will be maintained for the duration of Superfund related activities and information will be added as it becomes available
Maintain a Site Mailing List
The EPA will include all interested officials residents community groups and news media outlets serving the North Pownal area on a site mailing list To promote the widest possible outreach to interested parties the EPA will mail all fact sheets news releases and other site-related information to everyone on the mailing list The EPA will update the mailing list to include anyone who provides their name and address on sign-in sheets posted at the entrance to public meetings and information sessions concerning the site Additionally fact sheets will includea coupon to return to the EPA for those individuals wanting to be added or deleted from the mailing list Those wanting to be added to the list can also write or call one of the contacts listed in Appendix A
Issue News Releases
The EPA will issue press releases to the news media and to those on the site mailing list to announce public meetings public comment periods initiation of phases of site work results of site investigations the release of reports and EPA decisions on how to proceed at the Site
Issue Public Notice
The EPA will place formal paid public notices in the Bennington Banner to announce the following
Availability of a Site Administrative Record which is the file of information upon which the EPA will base its decision on how to address contamination at the site
Page
Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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bulllaquorraquo 31
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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ks ii If
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bull laquogtraquoraquoTraquorlaquo r-
BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
JS^V^SaCljC l 4 raquo=^
l^^^^^^sae^^ bulliSsSStfaI uporso^^^^ ssue TW cUlaquoP^^STis$2tm^n VaflUW
^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
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TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
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Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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8299 7-71 rgt
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
Mi^ll a - g a gy ^3 ||2|p 2 eolaquoaK (j S bull 55 g^-g-as-s
_-3
raquo 5 pound Kpoundn-s vbullg-lsS^-sS-gSs-ssss-ssS
2^lslm-i bulllt tlaquo a mdashv
laquo laquo-o laquobull raquoltbull bulls3-
o shy1 1 nlaquoiM |J tgipoundJ e^ laquo laquo laquo -E |^gt S-la^c|ifili lliilli^jdeg-shysa - sect
(= sect 6^pound f- laquogt a t- ^ _- ^ r- c
Figure 1-1
Page 3
The Town has a few small industrial businesses but several private and commercial farms that produce milk fruits and vegetables are located in the Town Local educational institutions include only one grammar school (K-6) The middle school and high school are located in Bennington Vermont
North Pownal is governed by a Select Board of five members Three of the Select Board are elected for three year terms on a rotating basis (ie one three year term is elected each year) and the other two members are elected annually for one year terms The Select Board has governing authority for the Town and all budgetary decisions are subject to Select Board approval All appointments to local boards are also made by the Select Board
Community Involvement and Concerns
Bennington County has had significant community exposure to Superfund Site cleanups over the past several years since there are three other Superfund sites located nearby in the Town of Bennington Vermont (Bennington Landfill Tansitor Electronics and Burgess Brothers)
In 1998 when EPA last conducted formal community interviews interest and concern over the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site was relatively high EPA has held a number of public meetings at the site since it was added to the National Priorities List (1998) EPA has also produced three Fact Sheets during this time period to aid in keeping the community informed about site plans and activities
Since 1998 a number of citizen concerns related to the building and landfill have been addressed through the Non-Time Critical Removal Action conducted at the Site
Nevertheless community interest and concern remains high at the site In 1999 the Town of Pownal was awarded a $100000 grant from EPA to evaluate redevelopment opportunities at the site after cleanup is accomplished The Town quickly formed a Reuse Committee comprised of local residents and town officials to guide the site evaluation The Town then hired a planning consultant to carry out the details of the evaluation and that project is ongoing
Despite the various cleanup activities conducted by EPA to address the contamination in the abandoned building and the landfill (Time Critical Removal Action completed by EPA in 1994 and Non-Time Critical Removal Action that is scheduled for completion in December 2000) community concern at the site is still high as the lagoons ground water and the Hoosic River impacts have not yet been assessed
A summary of the current citizen and Town concerns is presented below
Page 4
Economic Impact
bull One of the Towns primary concerns regarding the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site is that there is a significant unpaid tax bill on the property (over $280000)
Town Reuse of the Site
bull The Town is interested in using the Site for a beneficial purpose once the contamination is addressed Towards that end the Town received a $100000 grant from EPA to study potential plans for reuse of the Site The primary Site use being considered by the Town is for construction of a new waste water treatment plant to alleviate the current condition of direct sewage discharge to the river Additional reuse plans may include nature trails athletic fields and other recreational uses that may involve access to the river
bull The Town is concerned over whether the EPA cleanup alternative selected for the Site will accommodate their plans for reuse For example depending upon the portion of the lagoon area that may need to cleaned up and the cleanup method that EPA selects the Town might have more or less difficulty in siting the proposed waste water treatment plant
Public Health amp Safety Issues
bull During the time period when the tannery was operating (the tannery closed in 1987) odors from the facility were noticeable and objectionable Once the plant operation ceased the odor problem reduced significantly
bull Some residents have expressed health concerns over the quality of their water since there is no public water supply and all water used by local residents is from private water wells
bull One major concern in the Town is the discharge of raw sewage directly into the Hoosic River There is at least one open sewage discharge to the Hoosic River contained within the Site boundary
Security
Town residents and officials previously raised issues about site security as the Site was not fenced and there were no signs posted to indicate that the area contained hazardous chemicals This issue has been largely addressed in the Landfill and former Tannery building areas through EPAs recent removal efforts The Lagoon area is partially fenced and vehicle access is restricted by a locked gate though small off-road vehicles can still gain access in places The perimeter of the lagoon area is posted with signs indicating the presence of hazardous wastes
Page 5
bull Trespassing continues to be a problem in the lagoon area as local residents use the area for a variety of recreational purposes including hunting fishing and off-road motoring
Objectives of this Community Relations Program
The EPA has developed a focused community relations program to address the needs of the North Pownal community expressed during the interviews A guiding principle of all community relations activities will be to keep communications as simple and direct as possible while still providing sufficient information for people to fully understand what is happening at the Site The EPA will seek to educate local residents of the activities occurring at the Site the purpose of these activities and regarding the Superfund process
The EPA will work closely with local contacts where possible to monitor changes in community concern and to adjust this community relations program as needed
Planned Community Relations Activities
The following EPA activities to inform and involve those interested in the Pownal Tannery Site include actions required by the Superfund law and activities developed specifically to respond to the interests expressed during interviews with community members
Establish Information Contacts
The EPA has named the individuals listed below as contacts for Site information
Leslie McVickar EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1374
and
Sara White EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1026
and
Page 6
Brian Woods Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury Vermont 05671 (802) 241-3885
The EPA will include the names and phone numbers of these contacts in all public informational documents and news releases
Establish and Maintain Information Repositories
The EPA will send fact sheets technical summaries site reports general Superfund information and other Site related material to the information repository in North Pownal Vermont and Boston Massachusetts to insure information is readily available to all interested parties The EPA has established information repositories at the North Pownal Public Library as well as at the EPA Records Center in Boston The address telephone number and hours of operation are listed at the end of this document The information repository will be maintained for the duration of Superfund related activities and information will be added as it becomes available
Maintain a Site Mailing List
The EPA will include all interested officials residents community groups and news media outlets serving the North Pownal area on a site mailing list To promote the widest possible outreach to interested parties the EPA will mail all fact sheets news releases and other site-related information to everyone on the mailing list The EPA will update the mailing list to include anyone who provides their name and address on sign-in sheets posted at the entrance to public meetings and information sessions concerning the site Additionally fact sheets will includea coupon to return to the EPA for those individuals wanting to be added or deleted from the mailing list Those wanting to be added to the list can also write or call one of the contacts listed in Appendix A
Issue News Releases
The EPA will issue press releases to the news media and to those on the site mailing list to announce public meetings public comment periods initiation of phases of site work results of site investigations the release of reports and EPA decisions on how to proceed at the Site
Issue Public Notice
The EPA will place formal paid public notices in the Bennington Banner to announce the following
Availability of a Site Administrative Record which is the file of information upon which the EPA will base its decision on how to address contamination at the site
Page
Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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ks ii If
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bull laquogtraquoraquoTraquorlaquo r-
BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
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^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
Regional news All Northeast Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Maine Vermont Connecticut New York
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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Click here tot reai estate brohois
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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8299 7-71 rgt
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
Mi^ll a - g a gy ^3 ||2|p 2 eolaquoaK (j S bull 55 g^-g-as-s
_-3
raquo 5 pound Kpoundn-s vbullg-lsS^-sS-gSs-ssss-ssS
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laquo laquo-o laquobull raquoltbull bulls3-
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(= sect 6^pound f- laquogt a t- ^ _- ^ r- c
The Town has a few small industrial businesses but several private and commercial farms that produce milk fruits and vegetables are located in the Town Local educational institutions include only one grammar school (K-6) The middle school and high school are located in Bennington Vermont
North Pownal is governed by a Select Board of five members Three of the Select Board are elected for three year terms on a rotating basis (ie one three year term is elected each year) and the other two members are elected annually for one year terms The Select Board has governing authority for the Town and all budgetary decisions are subject to Select Board approval All appointments to local boards are also made by the Select Board
Community Involvement and Concerns
Bennington County has had significant community exposure to Superfund Site cleanups over the past several years since there are three other Superfund sites located nearby in the Town of Bennington Vermont (Bennington Landfill Tansitor Electronics and Burgess Brothers)
In 1998 when EPA last conducted formal community interviews interest and concern over the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site was relatively high EPA has held a number of public meetings at the site since it was added to the National Priorities List (1998) EPA has also produced three Fact Sheets during this time period to aid in keeping the community informed about site plans and activities
Since 1998 a number of citizen concerns related to the building and landfill have been addressed through the Non-Time Critical Removal Action conducted at the Site
Nevertheless community interest and concern remains high at the site In 1999 the Town of Pownal was awarded a $100000 grant from EPA to evaluate redevelopment opportunities at the site after cleanup is accomplished The Town quickly formed a Reuse Committee comprised of local residents and town officials to guide the site evaluation The Town then hired a planning consultant to carry out the details of the evaluation and that project is ongoing
Despite the various cleanup activities conducted by EPA to address the contamination in the abandoned building and the landfill (Time Critical Removal Action completed by EPA in 1994 and Non-Time Critical Removal Action that is scheduled for completion in December 2000) community concern at the site is still high as the lagoons ground water and the Hoosic River impacts have not yet been assessed
A summary of the current citizen and Town concerns is presented below
Page 4
Economic Impact
bull One of the Towns primary concerns regarding the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site is that there is a significant unpaid tax bill on the property (over $280000)
Town Reuse of the Site
bull The Town is interested in using the Site for a beneficial purpose once the contamination is addressed Towards that end the Town received a $100000 grant from EPA to study potential plans for reuse of the Site The primary Site use being considered by the Town is for construction of a new waste water treatment plant to alleviate the current condition of direct sewage discharge to the river Additional reuse plans may include nature trails athletic fields and other recreational uses that may involve access to the river
bull The Town is concerned over whether the EPA cleanup alternative selected for the Site will accommodate their plans for reuse For example depending upon the portion of the lagoon area that may need to cleaned up and the cleanup method that EPA selects the Town might have more or less difficulty in siting the proposed waste water treatment plant
Public Health amp Safety Issues
bull During the time period when the tannery was operating (the tannery closed in 1987) odors from the facility were noticeable and objectionable Once the plant operation ceased the odor problem reduced significantly
bull Some residents have expressed health concerns over the quality of their water since there is no public water supply and all water used by local residents is from private water wells
bull One major concern in the Town is the discharge of raw sewage directly into the Hoosic River There is at least one open sewage discharge to the Hoosic River contained within the Site boundary
Security
Town residents and officials previously raised issues about site security as the Site was not fenced and there were no signs posted to indicate that the area contained hazardous chemicals This issue has been largely addressed in the Landfill and former Tannery building areas through EPAs recent removal efforts The Lagoon area is partially fenced and vehicle access is restricted by a locked gate though small off-road vehicles can still gain access in places The perimeter of the lagoon area is posted with signs indicating the presence of hazardous wastes
Page 5
bull Trespassing continues to be a problem in the lagoon area as local residents use the area for a variety of recreational purposes including hunting fishing and off-road motoring
Objectives of this Community Relations Program
The EPA has developed a focused community relations program to address the needs of the North Pownal community expressed during the interviews A guiding principle of all community relations activities will be to keep communications as simple and direct as possible while still providing sufficient information for people to fully understand what is happening at the Site The EPA will seek to educate local residents of the activities occurring at the Site the purpose of these activities and regarding the Superfund process
The EPA will work closely with local contacts where possible to monitor changes in community concern and to adjust this community relations program as needed
Planned Community Relations Activities
The following EPA activities to inform and involve those interested in the Pownal Tannery Site include actions required by the Superfund law and activities developed specifically to respond to the interests expressed during interviews with community members
Establish Information Contacts
The EPA has named the individuals listed below as contacts for Site information
Leslie McVickar EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1374
and
Sara White EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1026
and
Page 6
Brian Woods Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury Vermont 05671 (802) 241-3885
The EPA will include the names and phone numbers of these contacts in all public informational documents and news releases
Establish and Maintain Information Repositories
The EPA will send fact sheets technical summaries site reports general Superfund information and other Site related material to the information repository in North Pownal Vermont and Boston Massachusetts to insure information is readily available to all interested parties The EPA has established information repositories at the North Pownal Public Library as well as at the EPA Records Center in Boston The address telephone number and hours of operation are listed at the end of this document The information repository will be maintained for the duration of Superfund related activities and information will be added as it becomes available
Maintain a Site Mailing List
The EPA will include all interested officials residents community groups and news media outlets serving the North Pownal area on a site mailing list To promote the widest possible outreach to interested parties the EPA will mail all fact sheets news releases and other site-related information to everyone on the mailing list The EPA will update the mailing list to include anyone who provides their name and address on sign-in sheets posted at the entrance to public meetings and information sessions concerning the site Additionally fact sheets will includea coupon to return to the EPA for those individuals wanting to be added or deleted from the mailing list Those wanting to be added to the list can also write or call one of the contacts listed in Appendix A
Issue News Releases
The EPA will issue press releases to the news media and to those on the site mailing list to announce public meetings public comment periods initiation of phases of site work results of site investigations the release of reports and EPA decisions on how to proceed at the Site
Issue Public Notice
The EPA will place formal paid public notices in the Bennington Banner to announce the following
Availability of a Site Administrative Record which is the file of information upon which the EPA will base its decision on how to address contamination at the site
Page
Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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ks ii If
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bull laquogtraquoraquoTraquorlaquo r-
BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
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^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
Regional news All Northeast Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Maine Vermont Connecticut New York
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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Click here tot reai estate brohois
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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8299 7-71 rgt
HA D4HV OC-00
3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
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Economic Impact
bull One of the Towns primary concerns regarding the Pownal Tannery Superfund Site is that there is a significant unpaid tax bill on the property (over $280000)
Town Reuse of the Site
bull The Town is interested in using the Site for a beneficial purpose once the contamination is addressed Towards that end the Town received a $100000 grant from EPA to study potential plans for reuse of the Site The primary Site use being considered by the Town is for construction of a new waste water treatment plant to alleviate the current condition of direct sewage discharge to the river Additional reuse plans may include nature trails athletic fields and other recreational uses that may involve access to the river
bull The Town is concerned over whether the EPA cleanup alternative selected for the Site will accommodate their plans for reuse For example depending upon the portion of the lagoon area that may need to cleaned up and the cleanup method that EPA selects the Town might have more or less difficulty in siting the proposed waste water treatment plant
Public Health amp Safety Issues
bull During the time period when the tannery was operating (the tannery closed in 1987) odors from the facility were noticeable and objectionable Once the plant operation ceased the odor problem reduced significantly
bull Some residents have expressed health concerns over the quality of their water since there is no public water supply and all water used by local residents is from private water wells
bull One major concern in the Town is the discharge of raw sewage directly into the Hoosic River There is at least one open sewage discharge to the Hoosic River contained within the Site boundary
Security
Town residents and officials previously raised issues about site security as the Site was not fenced and there were no signs posted to indicate that the area contained hazardous chemicals This issue has been largely addressed in the Landfill and former Tannery building areas through EPAs recent removal efforts The Lagoon area is partially fenced and vehicle access is restricted by a locked gate though small off-road vehicles can still gain access in places The perimeter of the lagoon area is posted with signs indicating the presence of hazardous wastes
Page 5
bull Trespassing continues to be a problem in the lagoon area as local residents use the area for a variety of recreational purposes including hunting fishing and off-road motoring
Objectives of this Community Relations Program
The EPA has developed a focused community relations program to address the needs of the North Pownal community expressed during the interviews A guiding principle of all community relations activities will be to keep communications as simple and direct as possible while still providing sufficient information for people to fully understand what is happening at the Site The EPA will seek to educate local residents of the activities occurring at the Site the purpose of these activities and regarding the Superfund process
The EPA will work closely with local contacts where possible to monitor changes in community concern and to adjust this community relations program as needed
Planned Community Relations Activities
The following EPA activities to inform and involve those interested in the Pownal Tannery Site include actions required by the Superfund law and activities developed specifically to respond to the interests expressed during interviews with community members
Establish Information Contacts
The EPA has named the individuals listed below as contacts for Site information
Leslie McVickar EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1374
and
Sara White EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1026
and
Page 6
Brian Woods Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury Vermont 05671 (802) 241-3885
The EPA will include the names and phone numbers of these contacts in all public informational documents and news releases
Establish and Maintain Information Repositories
The EPA will send fact sheets technical summaries site reports general Superfund information and other Site related material to the information repository in North Pownal Vermont and Boston Massachusetts to insure information is readily available to all interested parties The EPA has established information repositories at the North Pownal Public Library as well as at the EPA Records Center in Boston The address telephone number and hours of operation are listed at the end of this document The information repository will be maintained for the duration of Superfund related activities and information will be added as it becomes available
Maintain a Site Mailing List
The EPA will include all interested officials residents community groups and news media outlets serving the North Pownal area on a site mailing list To promote the widest possible outreach to interested parties the EPA will mail all fact sheets news releases and other site-related information to everyone on the mailing list The EPA will update the mailing list to include anyone who provides their name and address on sign-in sheets posted at the entrance to public meetings and information sessions concerning the site Additionally fact sheets will includea coupon to return to the EPA for those individuals wanting to be added or deleted from the mailing list Those wanting to be added to the list can also write or call one of the contacts listed in Appendix A
Issue News Releases
The EPA will issue press releases to the news media and to those on the site mailing list to announce public meetings public comment periods initiation of phases of site work results of site investigations the release of reports and EPA decisions on how to proceed at the Site
Issue Public Notice
The EPA will place formal paid public notices in the Bennington Banner to announce the following
Availability of a Site Administrative Record which is the file of information upon which the EPA will base its decision on how to address contamination at the site
Page
Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
fsectF K 2 deg 2 vraquo sect k-g I poundbull deg~ 3-3 I bull= |sect|--iEshy
S3 l82 t f BI 953 ll
idoS^p^
r r
S o
1HK
poundpoundSr^5V3^^^ampampampV2^^ fmdashbull _-v^ fj -f jv-jV- C2spoundJgt5w5iiSiJ ^^^^^^f^ ^^euro^^^^3^ i -4 -bull
Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
f rfJ-fJt-~~ -laquo~ - - _ ^fTCvVw^T
ks ii If
raquoJpT 13 bullpound5
W raquo
1 H
laquo$poundpoundS
VWJ Ifris
rf-laquo
Slaquo S -bull 5Vshy
iKslts
r- bullm laquoiv bull
v -VS ^i^ri
bull laquogtraquoraquoTraquorlaquo r-
BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
JS^V^SaCljC l 4 raquo=^
l^^^^^^sae^^ bulliSsSStfaI uporso^^^^ ssue TW cUlaquoP^^STis$2tm^n VaflUW
^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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8299 7-71 rgt
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
Mi^ll a - g a gy ^3 ||2|p 2 eolaquoaK (j S bull 55 g^-g-as-s
_-3
raquo 5 pound Kpoundn-s vbullg-lsS^-sS-gSs-ssss-ssS
2^lslm-i bulllt tlaquo a mdashv
laquo laquo-o laquobull raquoltbull bulls3-
o shy1 1 nlaquoiM |J tgipoundJ e^ laquo laquo laquo -E |^gt S-la^c|ifili lliilli^jdeg-shysa - sect
(= sect 6^pound f- laquogt a t- ^ _- ^ r- c
bull Trespassing continues to be a problem in the lagoon area as local residents use the area for a variety of recreational purposes including hunting fishing and off-road motoring
Objectives of this Community Relations Program
The EPA has developed a focused community relations program to address the needs of the North Pownal community expressed during the interviews A guiding principle of all community relations activities will be to keep communications as simple and direct as possible while still providing sufficient information for people to fully understand what is happening at the Site The EPA will seek to educate local residents of the activities occurring at the Site the purpose of these activities and regarding the Superfund process
The EPA will work closely with local contacts where possible to monitor changes in community concern and to adjust this community relations program as needed
Planned Community Relations Activities
The following EPA activities to inform and involve those interested in the Pownal Tannery Site include actions required by the Superfund law and activities developed specifically to respond to the interests expressed during interviews with community members
Establish Information Contacts
The EPA has named the individuals listed below as contacts for Site information
Leslie McVickar EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1374
and
Sara White EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Suite 1100 Boston MA 02114-2023 (617)918-1026
and
Page 6
Brian Woods Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury Vermont 05671 (802) 241-3885
The EPA will include the names and phone numbers of these contacts in all public informational documents and news releases
Establish and Maintain Information Repositories
The EPA will send fact sheets technical summaries site reports general Superfund information and other Site related material to the information repository in North Pownal Vermont and Boston Massachusetts to insure information is readily available to all interested parties The EPA has established information repositories at the North Pownal Public Library as well as at the EPA Records Center in Boston The address telephone number and hours of operation are listed at the end of this document The information repository will be maintained for the duration of Superfund related activities and information will be added as it becomes available
Maintain a Site Mailing List
The EPA will include all interested officials residents community groups and news media outlets serving the North Pownal area on a site mailing list To promote the widest possible outreach to interested parties the EPA will mail all fact sheets news releases and other site-related information to everyone on the mailing list The EPA will update the mailing list to include anyone who provides their name and address on sign-in sheets posted at the entrance to public meetings and information sessions concerning the site Additionally fact sheets will includea coupon to return to the EPA for those individuals wanting to be added or deleted from the mailing list Those wanting to be added to the list can also write or call one of the contacts listed in Appendix A
Issue News Releases
The EPA will issue press releases to the news media and to those on the site mailing list to announce public meetings public comment periods initiation of phases of site work results of site investigations the release of reports and EPA decisions on how to proceed at the Site
Issue Public Notice
The EPA will place formal paid public notices in the Bennington Banner to announce the following
Availability of a Site Administrative Record which is the file of information upon which the EPA will base its decision on how to address contamination at the site
Page
Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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ftisttKIjU I3it|-|g 3lta3^r 3 o 28 s-S3 -bull
SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
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Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
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Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
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idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
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8299 7-71 rgt
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
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begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
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By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
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TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
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TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
Mi^ll a - g a gy ^3 ||2|p 2 eolaquoaK (j S bull 55 g^-g-as-s
_-3
raquo 5 pound Kpoundn-s vbullg-lsS^-sS-gSs-ssss-ssS
2^lslm-i bulllt tlaquo a mdashv
laquo laquo-o laquobull raquoltbull bulls3-
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(= sect 6^pound f- laquogt a t- ^ _- ^ r- c
Brian Woods Vermont Agency for Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 S Main Street West Building Waterbury Vermont 05671 (802) 241-3885
The EPA will include the names and phone numbers of these contacts in all public informational documents and news releases
Establish and Maintain Information Repositories
The EPA will send fact sheets technical summaries site reports general Superfund information and other Site related material to the information repository in North Pownal Vermont and Boston Massachusetts to insure information is readily available to all interested parties The EPA has established information repositories at the North Pownal Public Library as well as at the EPA Records Center in Boston The address telephone number and hours of operation are listed at the end of this document The information repository will be maintained for the duration of Superfund related activities and information will be added as it becomes available
Maintain a Site Mailing List
The EPA will include all interested officials residents community groups and news media outlets serving the North Pownal area on a site mailing list To promote the widest possible outreach to interested parties the EPA will mail all fact sheets news releases and other site-related information to everyone on the mailing list The EPA will update the mailing list to include anyone who provides their name and address on sign-in sheets posted at the entrance to public meetings and information sessions concerning the site Additionally fact sheets will includea coupon to return to the EPA for those individuals wanting to be added or deleted from the mailing list Those wanting to be added to the list can also write or call one of the contacts listed in Appendix A
Issue News Releases
The EPA will issue press releases to the news media and to those on the site mailing list to announce public meetings public comment periods initiation of phases of site work results of site investigations the release of reports and EPA decisions on how to proceed at the Site
Issue Public Notice
The EPA will place formal paid public notices in the Bennington Banner to announce the following
Availability of a Site Administrative Record which is the file of information upon which the EPA will base its decision on how to address contamination at the site
Page
Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
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BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
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begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
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bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
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TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
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TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
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Release of the Remedial Investigation Report Feasibility Study Report and Proposed Plan The Remedial Investigation Report presents the findings of EPAs detailed study of contamination at the Site the Feasibility Study describes options for Site cleanup and the Proposed Plan presents the EPAs recommendation of the best option for the Site This announcement will specifically explain how the public can become involved in EPAs decision regarding how site risks will be addressed The public and state and local officials will have the opportunity to provide EPA with both written and verbal comments on EPAs Proposed Plan
Notice of Intent to Apply for a Technical Assistance Grant The EPA issues formal notice whenever a citizens group formally expresses its intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $50000 available per site from the EPA to hire a technical advisor
Selection of a cleanup plan Other paid public notices will be issued if the EPA has to take protective action in response to any immediate threats to public health or the environment discovered during the investigation of the site
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets The EPA will issue fact sheets as needed to provide information on the investigation and cleanup of the site as well as to answer questions raised on any topic of particular concern to the community regarding the investigation and method to address contamination
The EPA anticipates releasing fact sheets on the following topics
The results of the Remedial Investigation to identify the nature and extent of site contamination The fact sheets will include an explanation of the results of site investigation activities including results from the testing of residential wells a topic of interest to residents interviewed for this Community Relations Plan This fact sheet will also present the results of the risk assessment which identifies the current and future potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to site contamination
The results of the Feasibility Study which reviews options for addressing site contamination risks
The EPA will produce additional fact sheets if an issue of concern arises that would best be addressed by a fact sheet which can be more comprehensive than a one or two page press release
While every attempt will be made to minimize the use of technical terminology some technical and regulatory language will be used to help the reader understand the process and participate by commenting on EPA proposals The EPA will define any technical or other Superfund specific terms used The EPA encourages readers to call or write to the EPA with any questions or comments on the content or readability of informational fact sheets
PageS
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
-H J pound^oraquo = - gt i m
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
fsectF K 2 deg 2 vraquo sect k-g I poundbull deg~ 3-3 I bull= |sect|--iEshy
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poundpoundSr^5V3^^^ampampampV2^^ fmdashbull _-v^ fj -f jv-jV- C2spoundJgt5w5iiSiJ ^^^^^^f^ ^^euro^^^^3^ i -4 -bull
Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
f rfJ-fJt-~~ -laquo~ - - _ ^fTCvVw^T
ks ii If
raquoJpT 13 bullpound5
W raquo
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BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
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ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
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TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
Regional news All Northeast Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Maine Vermont Connecticut New York
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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Click here tot reai estate brohois
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
copy 1998 by MediaNews Group Inc and Pittsfield Publications Inc
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
Mi^ll a - g a gy ^3 ||2|p 2 eolaquoaK (j S bull 55 g^-g-as-s
_-3
raquo 5 pound Kpoundn-s vbullg-lsS^-sS-gSs-ssss-ssS
2^lslm-i bulllt tlaquo a mdashv
laquo laquo-o laquobull raquoltbull bulls3-
o shy1 1 nlaquoiM |J tgipoundJ e^ laquo laquo laquo -E |^gt S-la^c|ifili lliilli^jdeg-shysa - sect
(= sect 6^pound f- laquogt a t- ^ _- ^ r- c
Prepare and Distribute a Proposed Plan
The EPA will prepare a Proposed Plan summarizing the options considered for addressing site contamination and presenting the EPAs preferred alternative for addressing contamination at the Site The plan identifies the criteria the EPA will use to make a final decision on how to address Site risks and explains how the public can comment on the proposed alternative to address Site contamination The Proposed Plan is a comprehensive five to ten page document and is mailed to all individuals on the Site mailing list to encourage public review and comment
Technical Assistance Grants
The EPA will inform North Pownal citizens of the availability of up to $50000 in Technical Assistance Grant money for a qualified citizens group to hire a technical advisor to interpret EPA documents The EPA will include information about the Technical Assistance Grant program in fact sheets and during large or small meetings with the public in North Pownal
Public Meetings
Because residents have expressed a reluctance to attend large formal public meetings the EPA will hold only one formal public meeting and one formal hearing as required by the Superfund law The public meeting is required to present the alternatives identified in the Feasibility Study to address the potential risks posed by Site contamination The EPA will use the public meeting to explain how the public can be heard formally through the public comment process A few weeks after the public meeting during the public comment period the EPA will hold the public hearing to formally accept oral comments Comments will be transcribed for the site record but no response to comments will be given at the hearing
Responsiveness Summary
The EPA will issue a Responsiveness Summary to summarize and respond to oral and written comments made during the public comment period The Responsiveness Summary is issued with the Record of Decision that is a document that describes the EPAs selected approach to address site contamination The EPA will make the document available through the site informational repositories and announce its availability through a paid public notice and news release
Revise the Community Relations Plan
The EPA will revise the Community Relations Plan if necessary following the selection of a plan to address Site contamination Such a revision would be based on additional community interviews to assess and address changes in the community perceptions and concerns prior to implementation of the alternative to address Site contamination
Page 9
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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ks ii If
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bull laquogtraquoraquoTraquorlaquo r-
BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
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l^^^^^^sae^^ bulliSsSStfaI uporso^^^^ ssue TW cUlaquoP^^STis$2tm^n VaflUW
^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
Regional news All Northeast Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Maine Vermont Connecticut New York
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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Click here tot reai estate brohois
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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8299 7-71 rgt
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
Mi^ll a - g a gy ^3 ||2|p 2 eolaquoaK (j S bull 55 g^-g-as-s
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(= sect 6^pound f- laquogt a t- ^ _- ^ r- c
APPENDIX A
OFFICIALS KEY CONTACTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
A Federal Elected Officials
Honorable James M Jeffords Member United States Senate 728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)224-5141
2 Honorable Patrick J Leahy Member United States Senate 433 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202) 224-4242
3 Honorable Bernard Sanders Member House of Representatives 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington DC 20515 (202)225-4115
B US Environmental Protection Agency
1 Leslie McVickar Remedial Project Manager U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (HBT) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1374
2 Sara White Community Relations Coordinator U S Environmental Protection Agency One Congress Street Suite 1100 (RAA) Boston MA 02203-2211 (617)918-1026
C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
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1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
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they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
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M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
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KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
Regional news All Northeast Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Maine Vermont Connecticut New York
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
copy 1998 by MediaNews Group Inc and Pittsfield Publications Inc
8299 7-71 rgt
HA D4HV OC-00
3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
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begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
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bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
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TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
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TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
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C State Elected Officials 1 Morrissey Gerald P (State Senator)
312 Beach Street Bennington VT 05201 (802) 447-2674
2 Sears Richard W (State Senator) RRlBoxl33 North Bennington VT 05257 (802)442-9139
3 Palmer Allen C (State Congressman) RR 2 Box 35 Pownal VT 05261-9706 (802) 823-5270
D Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
1 Brian Woods Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation 103 South Main Street West Building Waterbury VT 05671-0301 (802)241-3885
E Local Officials
1 Nelson Brownell Select Board Chairman PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
2 Harry Percey Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
3 Laura Rosse Select Board Member PO Box 411 North Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-7757
4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
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BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
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ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
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TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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Click here tot reai estate brohois
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
copy 1998 by MediaNews Group Inc and Pittsfield Publications Inc
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
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4 Matthew Gardner Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
5 Alan Strobridge Select Board Member PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
6 Bill Hayes Forest Warden PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
7 Maude Dickinson Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
8 James Gilbert Health Officer PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
9 Judy Greenwault Health Agent PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
10 Craig ODell Emergency Management Coordinator Chief Pownal Protective Fire Association PO Box 411 North PownalVT 05261 (802) 823-7757
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
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(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
fsectF K 2 deg 2 vraquo sect k-g I poundbull deg~ 3-3 I bull= |sect|--iEshy
S3 l82 t f BI 953 ll
idoS^p^
r r
S o
1HK
poundpoundSr^5V3^^^ampampampV2^^ fmdashbull _-v^ fj -f jv-jV- C2spoundJgt5w5iiSiJ ^^^^^^f^ ^^euro^^^^3^ i -4 -bull
Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
f rfJ-fJt-~~ -laquo~ - - _ ^fTCvVw^T
ks ii If
raquoJpT 13 bullpound5
W raquo
1 H
laquo$poundpoundS
VWJ Ifris
rf-laquo
Slaquo S -bull 5Vshy
iKslts
r- bullm laquoiv bull
v -VS ^i^ri
bull laquogtraquoraquoTraquorlaquo r-
BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
JS^V^SaCljC l 4 raquo=^
l^^^^^^sae^^ bulliSsSStfaI uporso^^^^ ssue TW cUlaquoP^^STis$2tm^n VaflUW
^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
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Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
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idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
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8299 7-71 rgt
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
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begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
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bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
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TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
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TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
Mi^ll a - g a gy ^3 ||2|p 2 eolaquoaK (j S bull 55 g^-g-as-s
_-3
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(= sect 6^pound f- laquogt a t- ^ _- ^ r- c
APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REPOSITORY AND SUGGESTED MEETING LOCATION
A Information Repository
1 Solomon Wright Public Library Main Street PO Box 400 Pownal VT 05261 (802) 823-5400
Hours Monday 630 am - 830 pm Tuesday 1000 am - 200 pm Wednesday 630 am - 830 pm Thursday 1000 am -1200 pm Friday 1000 am - 1200 pm Saturday 1000 am - 200 pm
2 Records Center EPA - New England Region 1 1 Congress Street Boston MA 02114 (617)573-5729
Hours Monday-Friday 1000 am - 100 pm 200 pm - 500 pm
B Suggested Meeting Location
1 Pownal Center Fire Station
APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
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laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
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TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
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Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
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Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
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idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
copy 1998 by MediaNews Group Inc and Pittsfield Publications Inc
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
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bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
^
te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
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APPENDIX C
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE SITE
ADVOCATE
UILLIAHSTOUN HA UCEKLY 15000
Despite sortie interested parries- Eownal tanneiyiise is uncertain doln add doing Hmlied Itkss conditionn eastineastingg beforbeforee thee tanneryr~laquon laquo r tfl ELIUM laquo He1 remedtaito^BMexd-v^ The EPAs Usa Danek saysj concern coodlUo Us tanneti H DaneDanekk sayii thatthat aass ann alternative ththee siteAJah hTr^nVr Pnlaquoltai Tanainc bull opuwoi waitwattss furthefurtherr informatioInformationn oonn tSe~~|poat-6laquo5laquoingt U Bfcaly nrpfcvcot anyone laquoy i atternative siPownal mamayy bbee ononee ooff thee Mrstt forr aa neneww programampfrtSiertHn N^Po^bu^ewU of QabUrDabUryy thathatt mighmightt bbee InheritedInherited buyinf the pfo^erVMorl^ Ib Bn fa prograi InNorth Powaal aa cSvfctao off tabor VermonVermontt iiss workwork-- - Acceleratedd^KE^JSElpound^rfi2 By dMstar labor bull C flaquoJmdashbdquoraquolaquolaquo worked Imlde SoperfonSuperfuadd Aeeelerie CleaniCleanups of targe lagon pollution outside the building Model In which cleanup could continuead holdings and the run-down bctory shy Brian Woods a hydrotogist i determination^Jus five lagoons aad a laodnil -remains of Natural Resources plansunsettled- bullbull bullbull bull bull bull$360000 settlement the stateBesides the building that snakes for f with the formerly bankruptandreds of feet along the Hooslc River
ds complicated property indudef the reraquoshy third cell to plaampthi property on the Ita place ampbullraquo just
deson a tract to the east tide of state Route He explains concern about the lagoons bull - - a BOW proceaV The deal would include a where the company put liquid waste is private developer bf the building site46 that the Vermont Nature Conser- bull
aacy would Bke to get wooded tod across bated ki part on their location wtthin the Green Mountain bull National Forest Hooslc River NYDEC aadthe Nature Conservancy shy__je New Tork border that that Mates existing before the tannery^o j The fined bndtm which has been certified which would pk Up CO acresplus the NewDepartmeat of Eavkoaaeatal CoaservaooaV for solid waste Is out of the flood plain fc - bull York bad tor mate to thai statewould Bke to acquire and some 900 acres oaV
M Vermont side of the Tscotdc Raaae ANR k analyzing material taken boa tett lotted removal action completed last Michael Scared of the Forestry Service MA of which the US Forest Service would wells that have been sunk around the summer funded by Saperfusd Among says be to waiting for the Pownal Selectmen
tandDn and lagoons to see a teak material the 370 waste containers dhpraed of oae to Invite him back to dbcuss federal ownershy_ke Ugt add to-Green Mountain Natioaal Is getting tato the groundwater - preamK Si-faaon dram of a gennldde erased par- ship of the property plus 138 acres prishyFclaquost bull bull Ian Exman a businessman of Durham nary indicailoas are that a amaO amount of titular concern Although liquid was re- vately owned Just to the south GMNF
Tonn is interested In picking up the buBd- |chromium may be bull moved from bulk tanks on the property wants support uooi the community before
ag from the defunct tannery and Its hydro- Conrad Smith Vermont aishiant attor Ibey may still cootaiasome gtltgtlt It moves bulllectric system to generate electricity for aey general for environmental protection gt Loose aibestos was removed Trsns- Cook who says be-spends $10000 to
~lenams4cMgte Averill Cook of Catamount says that if the property were sold In Its formers checked negative for polychlort $12000 a month on electricity for the PeOet Fuel Corp Adams remains inter- present condition the state might be able to rated biphenya Sediment sample were- grinders used in making wood pellets is ested either in developing the site hirmeu strike a deal with the new owner to Bmli his taken ta the river coming up wttb avariety Interested ta the bydroetectric site Reshy becoming a tenant BabUity depending on the benefits In- of harmtesi substances garding the dilapidated building with a
Vermonts Agency of Natural Re- eluding jobs created A new owner now- Now the EPA b analyzing findings to residue of contsminatlon Cook says be sources and the federal Environmental ever would be ucHkdy to get a complete decide whether to place the property oa would just as toon raze it aad build anew on Protection Agency are studying the site waiver the National Priority Lbt to take the ate to the site
1
TRANSCRIPT
T NORTH AOAHS HA DAILY 11117
WEDNESDAY
MAR 16 1994 NEWEHOLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY me
EEA accelerating tannery cleanup C^^^^^^S s
^Former Pownal Tanning Co already designated Superfund sit y DAVID WILLIAMS
-jpedal to The Transcript POWNAL mdash The former Powshy
al Tuning Co has been accepted K accelerated cleanup under the
~US Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund according to ate and local official This means the site originally
-scheduled for a potentially lengthy leanup will be dealt with by fedshy
bullal authorities much sooner The ate remains responsible for a porshy
-ron of the cleanup costs Since the closing of the mill and
i associated power generating Fa-lily about lour years ago the
mdashbullopcnics located on the banks ofhe Hoosac River have been in a apidly deteriorating state There main serious problems with thexgtpcny despite pound partial cleanup
upcrviscd by EPA Supcrfund pershybulloraicl last spring^
During the preliminary cleanup _irrcls apparently containing oils nd solvents were removed from ho 19th century structure and conshyincrs or what was apparently unshyablcsalycm wcrcjsxplodedicai-- -j
-ry While most entrances have i laquocn tended op and notices of as- - $ios contamination postedy tain-link fences sag in places
-nosi windows are broken and there i at least one gaping hole in a wall -rge enough for a child to enter
The tannery during operation -^ecialized in the chrome tanning f sheepskins In similar operashyHis the standard method of irome tanning involves the use of
_ustics for the removal of the tool and the use of Chromium for ie tanning process itself Chromishyn is a toxic heavy meuL Despite e fact the tanning operation ap-
Mrently dumped its refuse chemishyaijjfcd otherwise into open lashywns near Dean Road the quesshy
tions of serious groundwarer conshytamination remains unanswered
The Superfund a federal proshygram supervised by the EPA reshyquires the use of matching funds While the Superfund pays 90 pershycent of the costs associated with the cleanup the state bears responshysibility for the remaining 10 pershycent
The money is already available for Vermonts share of the expensshyes The state will useabout S360shy000 obtained in judgment against
former owners as the states porshytion of cleanup bullexpenses Vershy
monts Agency of Natural Rcshysourccs currently controls the mon cyiwhicH has been collecting mtcrshy
cst sfnccthc original judgment on N6V20 1992 bull
j Originally in a public hearing | on Sept 2 1993 Richard Phillips
director of enforcement for the Dishy
|
vision of Natural Resources sugshygested the settlement might be dishyverted to other uses Town minutes quote Phillips as saying The deshy
partment has been considering oth- Apriorities for its use
Jjhft1 possibility the funds could be diverted to other uses was given
raquoimpetus when Pownal selectmen failed tofile a timely application bullfor the funds to be used locally The situation was apparently reshysolved when Gov Howard Dean sided with local usage of the funds SaletterofFeb251994
Whether there will remam funds to repair other deficiencies stem-
See Superfungk Page 8
Superfundbullbullbull bull -Vraquo ^ (Continued rrjpoundgt page 1)
mjng from the tannery property is uncertain butincreasingly unlikety given the problems remaining
- There remains a number of dwellings in North Pownal origishynally constructed for the use of tanshynery workers According to state documents at least 10 of these houses are straight-lining or disshycharging household sewage directshyly into the Hoosac River Accordshying to assistant health officer Melody Camavanthere may be an additional 11 bulltmA bull bull
Phillips has stated his agency will investigate the other dwellings when the weather permits
In addition the tannery originalshyly supplied water through its own water system to at least some emshyployee dwellings That system now thePownal Water Co curshyrently supplies its customers directshyly from an open reservoir without treatment of any kind
According to Cannavan the washyter has been under an order to boil sinccal least 1992 and can be legally classified as unusable for any purposeResidents have at limes had tree bark and oihcr deshybris delivered through household faucets Residents on the system arc attempting to form a fire disshytrict to supply potable water Since ownership of the system has passed on any funds remaining after the cleanup are unlikely to be used to alleviate the problem
A date has not yet been set for final cleanup to begin As with preshyliminary work the EPA is expected to bring in its own workers 10 comshyplete the job
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SO
r T T
T T 1 1 1 1
HEUPORT DAILY EXPRESS
NEWPORT VT DAILY 5QQQ
TUESDAY
RftR 5 1996 -
bullbullbull -bull^^^nnljgt^TiiU^4pound^i^ii amp o
(AP) mdashState ofEvlfcriock down the delt wpit old tan- landfill and-sludge lagoons sit ohPO sbyingg bull to -kWp^p l--I eryJ-iuUding-iTgtii i^bnclcs da^^th^lwiii or^e^HooSic^RivefTJie^cials areilobbyin t
luted industrial site in Pownal from^-i - bull_ rgt-^mdasht f mdash timbers are said tobull _imdash u raquo soaked with site underwent a $700000 going -on the US EnvironmentalProtection Agencys Superfund list The tannery and
toxins mdash and build nodem plants toxin-filled
emergency cleariug by iie EPA last year but much remains to be done
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years- before we could get it cleaned up and redevelopedtrade Gov Howard Dean said If were evergoing to get jobs in Pownal the tannery is one of the fewplaces it could uHOpCTl i shy bull bull bull bull l bull fpoundtlamp gt ~
The governor said he preferred to have the st^tesupervise-the cleanshying although hebullbullstill ltwantsthe federal government --to - sharegt- the COSt bull - -- T--Jvr bullgtbull
A bull Connecticut bulldeveloperi-Jan Exman-has boughtthe mortgage-on the- 84pracre PownaUTannirig Co property from the KrstNation-shyal Bank of Bostoaaforianjiridis closed um Snd is negodadngfwithpound the town ona seoiement for-bacic
bull_ s l
taxes bull iJ^^I WgtgM70 bullshyHe is alsobeginning-gttallcsrwilh
state and federal environmentalfC- ficials over whowill pay for the cleanupitiadve
Under a-new EPA bullin- the agency can-releasc
Exman from some orall of the liability for cleanup costs so-he can take possession of the propertyand build something new there bulli
Exmansaid he wouldprobably
BURLIHGTOH FREE PRESS
BURLIHGTON WT DAILY 54301
WEDNESDAY
HftR 6 1996 NEWENOLANDNEWSajpACt
-u -bull- raquo
ltpound si lt f mdashState fries to salvage
Powiial tannery sate -F- - _- - laquosss- The Associated Press bullwith state and fampderal ejnviron-
POWNAL mdash State officials are lobbying to keep a polluted industrial site in Pownal from going on the US Environmenshytal Protection Agencys Super-fund list
If I let that thing go on the Superfund list itd be 15 years before~Vetould get- it cleaned up and redeveloped Gov Howard Dean said If were ever going to get jobs in Powshynal the tannery is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preshyferred to have the state supershyvise the cleaning although he still wants the federal governshyment to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Powshynal Tanning Co property from the First National Bank of Bos- tonfor an undisclosed sum and isnegotiating withthe town on a settlement for back taxes bull
He is also beginning talks
mental officials -over who willraquo pay for the cleanup Under new EPAJnitiatlye the agency-can release Exman from someo^ all of the liability for-cleanup costs so he caottakc possession of the property and build some- thing newthere -
Exman said he would probashybly knock down vine tannery building mdash its bricks and timb- ers are said to be soaked with toxins mdash and build a modern plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The pounditc underwent _a_ $700000 emergency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
- - EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are fall ojlleadchromium organic sol vents-petroleum djsshy
- tillates and low-levels of dioxins
The EPA extent of the the site he said bdquo
TIHES-ARGUS
BARRE VT DAILY L32QQ
TUESDAY
HAR 5 1996
Dean Wants To Olean-Ts
V - gtbullbullgt - POWNAL-(AP) -State^bffiw
are lobbying to_keep ajwllateo^i dustcrSj sitesin-Pownal from going on the US Environmental Protecshytion Agencys Superfund list
If I let that thing go on the Sushyperfund list itd be 15 years before we could get it cleaned up and reshydeveloped Gov Howard pean saidIf were ever goingto getjobs in Powna1 he tannerj^is one of the few places it could happen
The governor said he preferred to have the state supervise the cleanshying although he still wants the fedshyeral government to share the cost
A Connecticut developer Jan Exman has bought the mortgage on the 840-acre Pownal Tanning Co property from the First Nashytional Bank of Boston for an undisshyclosed sum and is negotiating with the town on a settlement for back taxes
He is also beginning talks with State and federal environmental of- ficials over who will pay for the cleanup Under a new _EPA initiashytive the agency can release Taxman from some or all of the liability for^ cleanupcosts so he can^tak_erpossesrJ sioiYvbf the property arid buiJH ^methfngnew there bdquo _ jg
Exmansaid he would probably knock down the decrepit old tan-i nery building mdash its bricks and timshybers are said to be soaked with toteshyms mdash and build a modem plant 4
The tannery and its oxin-filled landfill and sludge lagoons sit on the banks of the Hoosic River The site underwent a $700000 emer gency cleanup by the EPA last year but much remains to be done
EPA site manager Terry Conolly said the soils around the plant are full of lead chromium organic solshyvents petroleum distillates and low levels of dioxms mdash not unusual for a tannery The EPA intends to study the extent of the contammashy| lion al the site he said
BRATTLEBORO REFORMER
BRATTLEBORO VT DAILY 10ZOO
TUESDAY
MflR 5 1S96
State - bull bull f SfjU-I- -1 f bull bull - bull bull bullbull- -8511BI1BJ
or jroTvnal tannery^- i ^- bulllaquobdquo i POWNAL (AP) - State official officials over howiirpayfor the are lobbying to keep a polluted cleanup Under a new EPA initiashybull industrial site in Pownalfrom go^~ t tive Ihe agency -can release Exshy- tag ron - the bull US Environmental bullbullbull man from some or all of-the liabil-Protection Agencys Superfund ity forcleanup costs so hecantake list- - bull bullbdquo possession ofthe property and
If 1 let that thing go on the buila something ijew there Superfund list itdbe 15years jExman said he would probably before wecould getit cleaned up knockdown the decrepit dldtanshyand redeveloped Gov Howard bull neiy building -- its -bricks and Dean said -If were ever going to bull timbers are said to be soaked vith get-jobs in Pownal the tannery is toxins - and build a modern one of the few places it could hap- plant
The tannery and its toxin-filled The governor said he preferred landfill and sludge lagoons sit on
to have the state supervise the the banks of theHoosic River The cleaning although he still wants site underwent a $700000 emershythe federal government to -share gency cleanup by the EPAIa^t the cost raquo r
year but much-remains to be bull - i - bull laquo bull
A ^ConnecticutJ developer Jan done bullbull bull c -^~ bull-bull Exmahhas bought1 the mortgage bull EPA site manager-gtTerry-Conshy on the840-abre)PdwnaI-Tanriingt oUyjSaid the soilsaroundtheplant Co property fromj the Pirst -Na-j-- are- ML of^leadrvchrpmium rorshy
i i - Fv - ^^ bull raquo - f bull bull t~ f --bullbull s+
tional bullBank gtpf -Boston for an un- ganiCj- (Solvents jetroleum distilshydisclosed sum and unegotiating lates aiiclidw -levelsVof dioxinsl-shywlththetov^nlohva settlement for bullbacktaxesri3lt- gtrltJ9 T-- ^iSi- study-th(
bulltfiei contamination at the- site-(he state andj-ifederfil^environnientalrshy
VxS bull
1
802 241 3296 TO 91617573966262625 P01 UT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 335 11=30 FROM I
I
EPA Mull bull raquo bull
Ci regO O -
iByPETER CRABTKEE - f = Hez^fd Staff
they pose to the environment Woods said the decision rhethef to
c-i
I v amp
M
pound tf
cr
PQWKALmdash ConcernedJfratthp fonneV Pownaltannery may be deshyclared-a-Superfund site state ofshyficials are urging the U^S Environshyment al- Protection Agency to streamline the cleanup process and help redevelop the old
3W- tannery whjchtjils-beside the Hposic River has undergone too f s~3ff IW lemergency
cleanup by bUamp bull jamp bull ^a i
ehiiarltJbuft waste laquoiie on tb$ Nashy
sto officials fear that would imshy
^^^^wHchl^calQtelectmen -have sfaoght fbryearaiafl taken op iv f-9-uLc ianx ^tirifceGpvHoward
i the jcrlaquoaitiQtt of a aiT-ldle dog track bullbullherei^ ii_shy ft
I - sM^^P^4113 t^eturn to the tannerynflxt^njont^so it can pershyform- ratberT extenlfv^ investtgashytionworkr^accorduigrto Brian
cialist^ith the state Department of Environmental Conservation
place the tannery on the Superfund list is likely to depend upon (be
suite of remedies that are proshy poseiland their coat shy
What the state is looking forris an agreement with the EPA that the site if its listed will move through the Superfund process ift a
gmely fashion and that NPL usting wont act as an impediment to apy potential redevelopment said
K Woods (|The state is trying to bring some
Jkmdpf certainty into the Superfund process1 Wbo4s added Weretryshying to get th$ EPA to think about ways of streamlining the proceasiat this particular site and were tryjEog
7 to1 get them involved in the potenshytial redevelopment of portionfi^ofthis property They have a nationshy
wideredevelppinentinitiative a^id theyre very anxiouff to be involrfed uiprojectathat are successes
Alaquobrdingto Woods the EPAs bull willingness to investmore time and money on the tannery is an encourshy
aging sign Jbull Ndrmally with tuhda tight tin would be very reluctant to devot resources to a site thats not on the
UJ X Q
I The EPAs- i-eniedial idivisioigt will
determine what chemicals remain NPL officially said Woods
(See Page 9 Tannery)
case because of the potential Tjcedevelopmeot issue and the potenshyrtial for success they might see there mdash and also because they see it as an
bullopportunity for good things to hapshyT environmentally mdash theyre
tin to step forward to do some of t work even before the NPL listshy
g And thats a good sign it shaws wtbat they are interested in a way raquotbey normally wouldnt be -I^TWe think we can come to some kind of understanding Woods
Jf the tannery makes the Super-Tund Ust then the EPA will pay for
the bulk of the cleanup with the state contributing 10 percent of the cost according to Woods
The tannery became an orshyphaned site after the Pownal Tanshyning Co declared bankruptcy and shut down operations in 1988 acshycording to Woods In 1992 the conv pany^ corporate officers agreed to pay the state $870000 towards cleaning up the property
The settlement capped a five-year effort to force the company and its executives to take responsibility tor the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes
land who died Mo held Wlaquodneraquodraquof aft lam Koetka-ChureWarzocha pastor ebrant wraquos the He pastor of St Bridget
Burial followed in laquoteiy
Ministers of the Czachor and Alex Bt
Organist was Dor Beaiwa were S
Castletoo RaymorJakubowaki and P Rutland Michael P Peter Miller of East
The prayer servu dayiaMulliM-Cliffo
Maria1
WAUJNGPORD service for Maria Vemdashi bdquoraquolt _ bull_
TOTflL P01
i
Study- Demolish NORTH ADAMS TRANSCRIPT Vl bull i
NORTH ADAMS HA 0 at tannery ^gineers sdyiseredevdopinait FRIDAY
31 1997 and raisetfNorth PQ^^ v bull gt gt
the owneohip one is reshysolved Selectman Nelson Btownefl fek tte town sboald tqr _ -mdash y v1 loai
^manDoded laquo te report
laquo3SffifteS
T
r
d Joa ofthePowcuI
Devdopniem Qxnshy^1 lin wilh laquoBoard next motnh to dushy
blllncc laquolaquof he communishy7 ltllaquovdopmeat grant The deadshydegdege for Srint had been exshy
June so^ ^ could proceed wuh the unnery eviluaiion
428
s i
NORTH AOAHS TRANSCRIPT
NORTH ADAMS HA DAILY 11117
FRIDAY
MAR 7 1997 NBVENGUWONEWSOfAGENCYMC
Iri rownal to seek legal advice on tannery By ERNESTO A BURDEN
Jorth Adams Transcript
POWNAL VL mdash Lance Matshy~son executive director of the
ennlngtoo County Industrial --orporation met with the Board jf Selectmen Thursday night to commend what steps the town lould take regarding the- North
mdashownal Tannery site A structural evaluation reshy
ialed that at least one of the tanshyay buildings must be demolshy
-shed soon and recommended alvaging the other two But nee learning the results of the tidy in January the board has
~een unsure how to proceed State officials recently sugshysted the board seek legal adshyce on such issues as ownership
~r the tannery and hazardous aste liability Matteson will disshybute request for proposal FP) forms to a selection of law
Tms the board chooses
bull The town will use money from its community development grant to pay for the services and will not spend more than $10- 000
bullThe $5000 to $10000 range is realistic Matleson told the board You want to get your moneys worth and you want them to have some experience with this issue
The board hopes to attain a comprehensive written report from the legal advisers which clarifies the implications of boldshying a tax sale and assuming town ownership of the property
Presently John Flynn and Sons Inc hold the deed to the tannery and Connecticut busi- nessman Jan Fjma has the mortgage papers But the Flynns have not been in contact with the j town about the sites status
The board plans to write to the owners to find out where they stand legally We just want to bring them on board Chairman
Frank Lamb said If they dont want to be on board they can jump off the train
Selectman Henry Strohmaier pointed out Theyre the rightshy shyful owners whether they owe taxes or not We should find out
Mineson offered to map out a strategic plan of action for the board
At least we have the engishyneering report and several intershyested parties are inquiring about the property he noted We have some of the legal pieces of
the puzzle although we dont have all of them yet We may have Kxnrtfrp from the EPA this summer At least well nave something informal
This isjo-givc the town and the Select Beard an idea of the choices what are the options
The town has not received any conclusive reports from the Envishyronmental Protection Agency on the hflyaPloT waste niOs at the site but Matteson said the EPA has been taking samples for testing bull
The initial screenings seem to be encouraging about the part of the building thats salshyvagable he said adding board members should keep the beat on elected representatives in Washington for the EPA to move as quickly and generously as they can on this site
Matteson will meet with the board again soon regarding the RFPs
their plans Its a very civilized thing to
do Matteson observed The board and Matteson
agreed the towns Attorney Marshygaret Lillie and state agencies inshyvolved with the tannery project should be included in the legal process
Selectman Nelson Brownell said Lillie already has done reshysearch on the site
r u i
vJ
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Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tann I but officials called It susplc
Firefighters We lucky this time J^^-^mAr - - a
Staff Wnter POWNAL - Firefighters rushed into action bull
Thursday when a fire was reported at the Pownal Tannery - ~--- shy
They called for backup summoning a fire company from Bennington and two from Williamstown Mass Luckily the fire turned out to be a brush fire on the back side of the former tannery
The pile of burning driftwood which offishycials say is suspicious was extinguished quickly preventing flames or embers from reaching the interior of the large abandoned building
We were lucky this time said David ODell president of the Pownal Center Fire Department expressing dismay at what would happen if the inside of the building ever caught fire
ODell said officials from the environmenshyul protection igency told firefighters nol to
Ikase we LUCKY Iage 12
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ks ii If
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bull laquogtraquoraquoTraquorlaquo r-
BARBARA BE
bers were given the lowdown Thursday on what they can do to get some or all of the $200000 in taxes owed the town for the abanshydoned Pownal Tannery
Attorney Peter Van Oot told board members they can either take a passive role and wait for the property to be sold which would result in the taxes being paid in order to get the land deed they could take a more aggressive role and set up a tax sale for the propshyerty or they could try to sue the Pownal Tanning Company which has filed for bankruptcy
Its a complex and challenging site with a lot of different playshyers said Van Oot who was hired with community development grant money
The environmentally hazardous bullfsite is still legally owned by the
Pownal Tanning Company whose principals are John Flynn and Sorts Inc Van Oot explained Jan
^Extnan and the Pownal Development Corp hold the mortgage on the property
Exman is currently attempting to subdivide the property and foreshyclose on approximately 1000 acres of woodlands that are not contaminated according to Van Oot He doesnt want the rest of the property which consists of ihc large mill area a lormer h ) d r lt gt power dam 22 acres of lagoons and a 7-acre lined landfill site
The state of Vermont is contestshying Exmans attempt to foreclose on only a portion of the property Van Ool told the board But if he
Photos by James Therrten is successful in foreclosing on the bullirefighters were called Thursday to a fire at the abandoned tannery In Pownal The rush (ire did not involve the building but officials called it suspicious
-Si^^t-iz^t^^^^^^^^^^^^-^^^^^--^^^^^gt^^-v^^^-^V^TV^^f-^bullviipoundbullbullbull bull bullbullbullbullbull- iJ- T-- --r^ ^r--bullgt bull bull bull bull -bull bull bullbullbull - bull-bull bull bull -bull ^ ~ mdashbullbull__ i S7r
iilaquoM iP||Wi sect lS ^ VP i - - fV lvbull-amp^pwwiidTtMe^^^1
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l^^^^^^sae^^ bulliSsSStfaI uporso^^^^ ssue TW cUlaquoP^^STis$2tm^n VaflUW
^r-tanmng Praquoraquo Hoosraquoc ^ North po^ sVW dtive
Tried fireftgwerslaquona streets
Thai snotto
BEKXIKGTOH BANKER
KKKIKG10K VI DAILY 8000
SftTUROAV
ftUG 16 1997
laquobullbull _ - -
EPA Treat any tannery fires as normal UAMESTHERRIEN materials stored in the mill be a bonfire set by juvenifes
might run off with water into the against the back wall of the An EPA cleanup project V POWNAL - The federal nearby Hoosic River brick factory which did not Environmental bull Protection a few years ago appar- However an EPA cleanup pro- spread to the interior Agency has cleared Pownal fire- ently removed stored ject a few years ago apparently Concerns also have been fighters to-combat any fires at removed stored hazardous mate- voiced privately by fire officials hazardous materials jie former Pownal Tanning Co rials and the worst of the pollu- that a fire at the Route 346 mill uiU as normal structure fires and the worst of the tion from the mill Depollo said would pose significant hazards Tprq Depbllo chairman of the pollution from the mill Hesaid he contacted the EPA for firefighters- even without
bountys bull Local Emergency following a July 24 fire al the the threat of hazardous materishy[Planning Committee and a fire- site which he responded to as a als Floors are buckling and sec-fighter with the Bennington Fire The federal agency had at one part of the countywide planning tions of the three-story brick Department said that after a time restricted fighting or even group Pownal firefighters said structure have crumbling walls request for clarification he pouring water on any blaze at at the time thai they still were and appear a threat to collapse received the approval recently the vacant factory without prior operating under the EPAs previ- in the event of a fire Trom thCfEEampsBoston office EPA approval Agency officials ous instructions prohibiting the The mill has been vacant since He has notifieofownal Valley were concerned about toxic use of water on the building the tanning firm filed for bank-Fire Department of the change emissions in smoke and thai The July 24 fire turned out to ruptcy about nine years ago
August 171997 Ketto Editoj
Rob Eiey660r 1862 or (800) 427-3124
Nice tfrsee they reached an agreement in Lyndon last week 90 sc methxng wampbedone
about tteppuuted^SiipejfipKL site forshymeriy known asParkerLahdfilL
bull Under the deal the Environmental iProtectica Agency Ox state and 13
coaipanies hampd responsible for dumpshy Ing hazardoi s waste at the new-dosed bull jlandfill will i pend 58 million to cap jthe mess and perpetually monitor it bullfor leakage- bullbulli1 vshybull Ajid nice ^ o see tfieyre making
bull [headway in I enniiijgton on anotherbullSuperfund $i laquo tovm-ogtwned tendfill bullriddled with PGBsltabd other residue bulldumped tber i by 18 aianufacturers
bullbull Lastmonwi jEPAsigned pfToa an -$8 million plan lhatlwill allow the bull itovm to cap ie landfill and design a
isystem to^cc^ect poJUtfed under-Igrouad runoff andtreat It at a nearby rnuncipal $ev rage treatment plant
Such a bo mty 6f good-newsU laquonough to mlt ieooe think the notorishy
bull iously slow-as -molasses Suoerfundprpshyraquoram isnt so bad after all mdasheven if it idid take almost a decade of dickering in both cases to^$omething_done shy Which brings 11$ tp another blotch
bull on Vermonts picture-perfect land- bull bullscape the toampc steW at the old Pownal (Tanning Co- located in tblaquo states
jsouthwestem corner The joint has ibeen cJosedsince 1987 and wa$ the source of odor and pollution problems for years before thiat Dioxin vas found in a nearby homes drink ing water supply in 1988 and the EPA did a quickie $700000 removal of sc me of the sites mltSre hazardous waste last vear
Despite all of this unpleasantness tie statelt has resisted puiting the sitej
gt -M the national Superfbnd fist argutog he state could get the deawup job laquo-ne faster bull
If 1 fct that thing gp on the Super-fund list itd be 1S years before we bull c outd get it cleaned up and redeyd- ipedOov Howard Dean bellowed it 1996If were eVer going to get
-gtbs in Pownal the tanaery-is tine of he few places where It could bappen
ft was a great newraquo-bytelaquotthe dngte hut maybe olaquo fearless ieadepougbt to
really wints to see the^tannery reborne
The cold-cash reality of flttsihia^ i on is thatnbthing good is going to r^pjpenhere under the present situa4 lion ReasonNo^ne has the deep bull
mdash except of course perfund f bull - bull
The cbmpany that Qwn laquoraquo Urn nery is binkrupt^The state J$ never going to be able to rustle upftbeesti-i mated $4 toi31ion-plieis it wig cost to [ m ake the tannery riollatetf lagoons ltimnp iid decrepit building3 gaaway
NochaVipg it enrolled inthe fedetal programjtduces its projects to whad shycon best be characterizexl as u said Brian Woods of the state EnyliohshymentalGonseiyationDepattmeat -
UslilaquoMeVicfcar an EPA project tnaoageri who visited the rite last week agreed sayingthe states posi t on has afi but prevented Work frpni proceeding on a cleaho^p plankrts going to takea lot jongprtq deal with the site without Supeifund than witii 1 1 she predicted - bull =
Contihued inactiqn could beJm-
ardcrtw to PowhaT health Quiclk ac-J uon by firefighters lite last raonth p^e-vented a fire set by a loA nearthe plant froin reaching the -building bull
The incident poittted uptne fact the tannery remains i disaster waiting to happejo The building near collapse 3 nd encrusted- in places with toxic mishytenals is vulnerable to vandalism K Ids tide bikes near opes manholes to polluted lagoons bullbull - bull -
And get this Untfl the EPA advised them to the contrary last week fire- fighters were of the belief that if the tannery dad catch fire it was better to let ir bum than hose it down and rist homing the waterwasib toxic residue gt into theheairby Hoo$ic River
Hello^ ground control ia Montpelshyier WeHayeaptoblem S-im Hemingway is iheTree Press suite news m-jmnisLtTa columns eamppedr Wednesday bull fgt day aiut Sunday If vou katim comment
TOTRL P01
8EHHIHGTOK BANKER
vT OAILV a ooo
TUESDAY
ftUG 19 1997
Editorial
bullt convinced tannery waste allcleaned up
A -V = - _ bullbull J IT bull y giving Pownal nrefightshy_ laquo1_ _ _ _ _ laquobull 1 _ers the green light hoses and other equi
to fight fires at the defunct Po Tannery the Federal En mental Protection Agency is sa ing the decaying facility is not a (toxic waste) health threat any more- - bullbull - bull
Were not so sure~
The action by the EPABoston office signaled that the remov five years ago of a stockpil hazardous material was all government agency needed
pronounce the end of any danger via pollution to the neighborshyj hood and the Hoosic River should the tannery catch fire
mental threat thaaXhouse built mdash Al t ^A1 41 1 tmdash~- lit 1 mdashmdash Jin the 1920s thathas all lead
paint should it catchfireV
Thats certainly^comforting but were a little unnerved that it appears the EPA is saying all is
s^-simply because they removed some barrels of waste
State Representative Charlie Pahner R-PjmnaL_iaidhe has
-aumeroi _ ^ for its tannery studies and
conclusions- but to date has seen no results of anything from the EPA
not confident all the_ waste-has ealt-wit
There is still a significant amount of waste at the site Its
And according to JToni toxiciry andrvolume are certainly DePolb chauman of the counf measurabkiJllf these have -been tys^CocalEmergency Plamimg-ineasuredVwecallpn the-EPA to
ing more man residue imbedded havent yet bieen- measured we in the woodwork and-other partey tiunk^stud^shpuld bemdertakshyof thebuilding HeVttinvinced^-enbeforePowM-nnd^ibelfltiealshy
it poses no more of ah environ^1 ing with iiju^iatheprpperty
i
ltS reglaquo t3 jn
fa 1
tanneryv
site - m e e ofhave concerns witwithh ththe typtype of
industry I offer Cook wrote cnn It is also possible thatthe
town does not want an industrishy
manufactures compress al application brought to this delicts for fuel is reportedly sUe- therefore my interestsraquo^poundampSfinegotiating a deal with the would be best served m Findingmdashgt-laquolaquobull holdera of theformermdash an alternate location Thenegotiating aeai raquomdash opportunities that I am facingmortgage holder of the former mdashquire immediate action Pownal Tanning Co site Jan ThThee selecselectt boarboarad iiss visitingbdquo 0Exrhan-of Durham Conn -mdash -bullraquobullgt to see ethe Catamount site to see ththe- Jtyerill H Cook president of operation first-hand at a specialCatamount Pellet Fuel Corp in
meeting Thursday Adims Mass has xtold the Cook contacted late TuesdaySelect board -that he is in a declined an interviewbullbullposition to take ownership of Cooks letter went onthe former tannery site now From my perspective thereunused^frbm Bxman He is now have been few tangible opportushyin-the process of gauging the nities for the redevelopment oftowriV-^pport-for such an the propertyandI believe that Iindustrialuse of the site board offer not just onebut several
members say viable solutions tcj the problemsIn a letter to- trie select board on June 12 Cookwrote As in the areaCatamount since it opened at you bullarampiJrtvare I continue to its Printworks Drive locationhave anintetestin(he redevelshy has had nearby residents continshyopment of the Tannery property mdash laquo~ -rvrvnVain of wind-blown^mdash Hit raquoapoundt yeari my company pungent -bullbullbull1 have main- bull
Hraquoe7co^
slaquossV-sraquo mdash i Due to the taci mmraquo- raquoK2rSnraquo nearby- the residents wno ^ pose an industrial application^ abtersto^parka^ngfor the site its paramount that th m8ythe board and townspeople odOT rt ni^e and laquowshyfrdmAvenU s place araquoundwstandjhe implicationsthat
- vannD faotlogo wttRtrie return of industry to Please tWOODtheTfetiiSn ^understand that omeof the board members
i -r I (ifshy
ER1KARVIDSO Staff Writer
POWNAL mdash The Environmental Protection Agency is considering adding the polluted former Pownal Tanning Co site to the National Superfund Priority List accordshying to officials
While making the tannery site a Superfund site would free up more federal funds towards studies and cleanup of the area a history of long dragged-out Superfund actions might make the idea of putting the tannery site on the National Priority List (NPL) unpopular with some state officials
The Pownal Select Board will meet with Gov Howard Dean Wednesday to discuss the EPAs proposal for the tannery becomshying a Superfund site According to officials Dean has opposed past efforts to place the tannery
on the list because other Superfund actions around the state have proved costly and slow-footed in progress
To dale the EPA has conductshyed a removal action of the more hazardous waste storage areas at the tannery but has exhausted the amount it can spend under the limited authority it has with the site on a non-Superfund stashytus according to attorney Peter Van Got
Its a trade-off Van Got said of the Superfund listing It frees up a lot of money for cleaning up and studying but the NPL is a very very expenshysive and time-consuming process Its not a streamlined quick fix Its a long expensive process
For the tannery to be made a Superfund bite the EPA would
tannery site is Superfundcandidate s
first make an investigation of the site and give the site a score based on how much waste there is and its proximity to public pathways and water sources Van-Oot said If the tannery is given a certain high score it will be ranked on the priority list Funding for cleanup is based on the ranking Van Oot said The stale although it also shares in the cleanup cost loses a certain amount of control over the cleanup process once the site becomes a Superfund site Van Ool added
The problem with the Pownal tannery site is theres no apparent viable private party to spend money on ihe cleanup Van Ool said The Pownal Tanning Co is defunct and curshyrent mortgage-holder Jan Exman isnt in a position to be held liable That doesnt leave you with a loi of alternatives Van Oot said
Van Oot explained that there are four categories for the EPA to determine panics strictly liable to pay for cleanup The two cateshygories applicable to the tannery situation include anybody who ever owned the property or pershysons that come in and buy it
The EPA could spend the money then go after any one of these panics Van Oot said
Exman is trying to foreclose on all of the former tannery property except for the polluted mill parcel and hes being conshylesied in Benningion Superior Court by the stale Agency of Naiural Resources and the Town of Pownal Van Oot represents Pownal in the case
The mill site has been eyed by Averill Cook president of Caiamount Pellet Fuel Corp of Adams Mass who has been negotiating with Exman a possishyble sale and has recently solicited the towns input on his industrial company taking over the mill
je^ A s s o c i a t e d Pressi New England News
08-07-0801 02
Dean reverses supports Superfund for Pownal
PONVNAL t ( A P ) - Gov Houard Dean has reversed himself and come out in support of putt ing the site of the former Povnal Tanners on the federal Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list
But Dean said he ould look to the tons select board for guidance before deciding hether to push the federal Environmental Protection Agencgt to make the Superfund designation
Ill follou t h e i r lead because ul t imate ly the people of Pounal have the most to uain or lose b this Dean told the Rutland Herald
The governor and state- em ironmental officials met ui ih select board members in Montpelier Yednesdas to discuss the pros and cons of a Superfund designation
Dean said Superfurd designation ould prompt the federal gos eminent to help pas for cleaning up the site hich is expected to cost up to $40 million He earlier had said he did not favor Superfund designation arguing that the process could tie the site up for ears and preent ne deelopment
The risk is nothing ssill happen fora long time Dean said The risk of not doing it means there l l be no money to make ans thing happen
The governors recommendation appeared to carry weight with town officials
No one is going to come in and spend that kind of mones on their oun for cleanup said Laura Rosse a select board member
Ms v o t e is going to be for us to be listed as a Superfund site 1 feel t ha t gt the ongt a l t e rna t ive
^ - i j i l l _ V_ _gt J e gt i v gt i o iXni iv i i ipivraquo 11110 M i U l lli L i v V - l gt
in 19S8 al ter dumping industrial chemicals on its MIC beside the Hoosic Ri er
Last month the I S [ n ironmenial Protection Agency h ich has alreaJ -^pcnt S70UOOO on an emcrgenc cleanup came out a^m in l i ui i i t p l a c i n g the t anners on the Supei funds nauonal
loston com Latest News Northeast Po t get stuck with bill for tannery cbttfn^www boston comdailynewswirehtml Pownal_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
Regional news All Northeast Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Maine Vermont Connecticut New York
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Lottery s Q3ilpound3606 (Won) Mass Cash 3 89 3032 (Aug 21) Mass Millions 21213152549 Bonus32(Aug 24) Megabucks 1116 31353738 (Aug 22)
Pownal wont get stuck with bill for tannery cleanup Associated Press 082598 1542
POWNAL Vt (AP) - The town of Pownal wont have to pay o clean up the contaminated Pownal tannery property
That opinion from the Environmental Protection Agency clears the way for the tannery to be designated a Superfund site meaning it will be decontaminated largely at federal expense
It also allows the town to proceed with a tax sale to recoup about $255000 in delinquent taxes
Weve waited a long time to get where were at with the tannery Selectboard Chairman Frank Lamb said That to me is a giant step forward
While the owners of Superfund sites are generally liable for the cost of cleaning up hazardous wastes the Pownal Tanning Co declared bankruptcy in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
Anxious to see the property redeveloped but wary of taking on clean-up costs the Selectboard met with Gov Howard Dean and state environmental officials earlier this month to discuss the tannerys future
With the governors support the board voted in favor of having the EPA place the tannery on the Superfund priority on the condition that the town was absolved of liability
In a letter to the board last week EPA official Patricia Meaney wrote that the Superfund liability rule does not apply to municipalities that take ownership of contaminated properties through delinquent tax sales
The only exception is if a town causes or contributes to the release - or threat of release- of hazardous wastes Meaney wrote
Most anybody else who bought it would be part of the cleanup Lamb said We are not
Meaney also notified the town that it could take title to about 900 acres of uncontaminated woodlands owned by the Pownal Tanning Co and later sell the land with neither the town nor the buyer assuming liability for the tannery cleanup Meaney said
The selectboard is considering turning the area into a town recreation area
Lamb also said the land could produce income for the town if it were managed for timber harvests The town recently
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Click here tot reai estate brohois
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oston com Latest News Northeast Po I get stuck with bill for tannery chttpi^wwv boston comdailynewswirchtml Powral_won_t_get_stuck_with_bill_fo shtml
netted about $18000 for timber taken from another parcel he said
I N T E R A C T I V E
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NORTH ADAMS MA DAILY 9438
WEDNESDAY
^ SEP 23 claquoj A^laquolaquoW 1998 - raquoiwr
Judge allows foreclosure on land near tanner But contaminated Pownal Tannery can be abandoned for others to clean up
MedtaNews Service
POWNAL VT mdash A Superior Court judge has decided that the Connecticut mortgage-holder of the former Pownal Tanning Co site can taeclose on 830 acres of non-contashy
bullnghated woodlands and leave bdSnd the polluted mill
In a decision issued last week Judge John P Meaker ruled that Jan Exman of Durham Conn can conduct a partial foreclosure allowshying him to sell off nine clean parcels of the property and abandon the tenthmdashthe millmdashfor someone
else to clean up The state Agency of Natural
Resources and the town of Pownal have opposed Exmans partial foreshyclosure bid on public policy-grounds
Reactions of disappointment came from both Assistant Attorney General John Hasen said he was disappointed with Meakers rulshying and that the state would considshyer asking the court for permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court
Pownal Select Board Chairman Frank Lamb also said he was disapshy
pointed The decision says he can go ahead and take the good and leave the bad which is kind of sad Lamb said he didhot know what this decision meant for the town
We really dont know if this means the town of Pownal will be
responsible for the clean-up of this Jepmaining site ^ In the 34-page ruling Meaker
wrote that the court is persuaded that partial foreclosure is recogshynized in the law Meaker added that the state Legislature has no addressed the particular issue of partial foreclosure Consequently
the court cannot conclude that there is a violation of public policy In addition the court noted that there is nothing on the face of the note or the mortgage that is contrary to public policy
Meaker also wrote that if the court reached the agencys conclushysion that a partial foreclosure violatshyed public policy the court would be creating a remedy which the hazshyardous waste statutedoes not proshyvide for
The polluted parcel of the tannery
is being considered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to be designated a Superfund site
The town meanwhile is preparshying a tax sale of die tannery to recover $275000 in delinquent taxes owed by the tannerys former owner theraquo Pownal Tanning Company which went bankrupt in 1988
According to court papers Exman whose company is called Pownal Development Corp paid $40000 to First National Bank of Boston for the mortgage in 1995
Exman foreclosed on and sold a 312-acre parcel located in New York to the New York Trust for Public Land netting over $40000 in the sale and claiming a loss on his taxes of almost $50000 because he sold the property for less than its appraised value
Although the tannery mill is assessed at 5125000 it is contamishynated with chromium lead penshytachlorophenol and asbestos records say With the exception of the town of Pownal taking the title to the property through its tax lien any party that takes ownership of the mill would be subject to a lawshysuit by the EPA for cleanup costs under SuperfumC
The towns attorney in the matshyter Peter VanOot said he would leave it to town officials to react to the ruling
Lamb said the town was not involved in the proceedings Any appeal would have to come from the state
7r to kcshy
nuw t JgtgtJlaquoLI NElVENGLANDNEWSCLPAOENCYiHC
Editorial
Superfund is the right choice for tannery
TIhe Pownal Tannery site is into use again someone will have being considered to be to determine what level of hazard named a Superfund site by exists and exactly what steps
the federal Environmental must be taken to remove the haz-Protection Agency We encourage ard But here lies the rub There state and local officials to run not will be a hefty cost to such an walk toward expediting this des- examination and cleanup and the ignation businesses that formerly operated
In the past Vermont Gov on the tannery site are long Howard Dean has resisted defunct The cost is also likely to efforts to place the tannery on exceed the amount of money the the Superfund list Hes done so state andor local officials are because he believes that the going to be willing to pony up Superfund process is long slow The property is in receivership shyarduous and expensive--and we meaning the financial institutions believe hes exactly right on all that hold the note have no liabifi- counts ty here - but they also have no
But the Pownal Tannery oper- way to interest anyone in investshyated for more than 40 years in ing in the site until it can pass an the heart of Pownal all before _EPAJnspection the polluting effects of its opera- It seems pretty clear that the lion were clearly understood slow expensive Superfund For that matter the location was cleanup however undesirable textile mill prior to becoming a is the only possible method for tannery operation - theres no restoring this bit of real estate to easy way to discover if any a state where it can become use-residual environmental damage ful to commerce again We thus remains from this earlier manu- encourage the governor and the facturing operation either The Pownal Select board when they tannery building itself while meet today to (Jiscus the issue sturdy enough is currently bull to agree to tlJe^S poundu$erfund unused and deteriorating designation andtopushfor as
If the site is ever to be placed quick a cleanup as possible
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RECEIVED T1MEMAR 2 108PM shy4t 1 _
i
United StatesEnvironmental Protection AgencyNew England Region
Office of External Programs JFK Federal Building
Boston MA 02203
Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont
ampEPARegion 1 New Englanddglan
Environmental News Contact Alice Kaufman EPA Community Affairs Office (617) 918-1064
For immediate release March 23 1999 99-3-23
EPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION ON POWNAL VT TANNERY CLEANUP
Bostonmdash Just two months after designating it a federal Superfund site the United States
Environmental Protection Agency approved today an $8 million plan to cleanup a portion of the
28-acre Pownal Tannery Superfund site in North Pownal Vermont Funds for the cleanup come
from the Superfund Trust Fund which is financed through an industry petrochemical tax The first phase of the cleanup scheduled to begin this spring includes decontamination and partial demolition of the tannery buildings excavation of soils and contaminated sludges in the tannery building disposal of materials in an on-site tannery landfill and final capping of the tannery landfill located on Will Dean Road The State of Vermont will be responsible for long-term operation and maintenance of the landfill cap once complete
We streamlined the Superfund process so that we are able to move far more quickly to address pollution at sites like Pownal said John P DeVillars EPAs New England administrator We are_ readying for a spring construction season to begin work at the old tannery site and look ahead to the future reuse of this site
With support from Governor Howard Dean the Congressional Delegation and the town officials EPA listed the tannery on the EPAs National Priorities list on January 11 1999 thus making it eligible for cleanup under Superfund
The delegation worked closely with the state particularly the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to secure federal funding for the Pownal Tannery site Congressman Sanders Sen Leahy and Sen Jeffords urged Secretary Carol Browner in a September 1998 letter to fund a cleanup of contamination at the site stressing the importance of removing toxic substances from the site
This is good news and a sign of progress for Pownal said Sen Patrick Leahy Thecommunity has worked hard to address the issues at the tannery and this is the result of the constructive partnership they have forged with EPA and other state agencies The Vermont congressional
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATIONhttpwwwepagovregion01
delegation will continue to support the communitys efforts to finally begin the process
moreshy
-2shy
I am very pleased to see that the EPA has moved so quickly following their listing of this site said Sen James Jeffords This is a great example of how the Superfund can work With the cleanup about to begin we can look forward to the redevelopment of this property to benefit the entire Pownal community
This is a very positive development for Pownal the region and the state said Congressman Bernard Sanders Local communities need all the help we can give them to address environmental problems and we will continue to work as a delegation to help communities respond to environmental concerns I am pleased that EPAs Region 1 office was able to work together successfully with state and local governments to address the need for a cleanup of this site
The work planned for this summer will be a significant step forward in addressing the risks that this site has presented to the community and the local environment since the tannery ceased operation said John Kassell Secretary for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources It also sets the stage for an additional benefit mdash possible redevelopment of the property
Pownal is glad to see the start of this project and hopes to see the continuation of the entire cleanup completed in a timely manner said Nelson Brownell Pownal Selectboard Chairman
The tannery cleanup~team~consists ofEPAYRemediation Construction Manager the Army Corps of Engineers and their construction contractors In preparation for the cleanup activities the team will establish a staging area near the site to hold construction equipment Trailers will be moved to the site to serve as temporary field offices
Throughout the cleanup EPA will be working with the Army Corp of Engineers the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and in ongoing consultation with the Pownal Select Board
In an effort to protect the health and safety of area residents and site workers EPA will restrict access to the site by erecting a fence monitor air quality and wet contaminated soils to prevent dust from blowing EPA and the construction team will make every effort to minimize the disturbance of the cleanup to the community
The EPA will schedule a public information session in Pownal in mid-April to update the residents and address their concerns on the tannery work project Rick Leighton EPA Remediation
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
Construction Manager will also be available during the cleanup to meet or talk with residents about their concerns during the removal
Before work begins the EPA will also set up an informational bulletin board for residents on the tannery cleanup at DJs Country Store in North Pownal Residents can also obtain additional information about the tannery cleanup through the information repository at the Pownal Public Library or by calling Rick Leighton or Sarah White at EPAs toll free number 1-888-372-7341
-30shy
VISIT EPAs WEB SITE HOME PAGE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION httpwwwepagovregion01
inuu laquo _ - - - _ - ^shyrivjiI tannery conditions pose worry for neighbors million on the way but immediate concerns surface
By Susan JPScano North Adanps Transcript
POWN^L Vt mdash The Environshymental j Protection Agency approved |$8 million Tuesday to clean up die former Pownal tanshynery witnfvort expected to begin in the spring but resident Deborah Nicholas said the plan 10 bury (materials from the cleanup at the landfill off Dean Road is causing local worries
Nicholas who owns rental property near the landfill sire invited Sdectwoman Laura Rosse and the press TO the site to observe its lack of safety and security
As you lean see there are none Nicholas said
Gates at both entrances to the landfill which has already been used as a waste disposal sire for the tannery were open and had no locks There were no signs anywhere to indicate The propershyty is a lanjjfiD that hazardous material may be present theremdash not even a private property or no trespassing sign
There are absolutely no signs here to let pjeopte know this is a dangerous area Nicholas said People have come here and shot deer taken the meat home and fed it to their families exposing Them to who knows what
Rosse said she would contact stare authorities immediately and request locks and signs for the landfill She made no comshyment but threw her boots away after leaving the property
Two cement cylinders are visishyble both witrjjronied woodea covshyers which art not attached to the cylinders leaving them wide open Both cylinders have ladshyders descending into them and into a liquid substance contained
inside the uncovered receptacles Cant you just picture some
kid getting down there Nicholas asked We dont even know how deep it is or whafs inside
The EPA said last November that signs would be erected postshying the site as potentially hazshyardous The Selectmen announced last week that the EPA had sent a letter saying informational meetings about the tannery cleanup would be held in ApriL
Sarah White EPA community relations specialist said this morning that gome of the conshycerns are valid
There probably should be signs and locks on the landfill I will bring it up to the project
Debouh Nicholas has concerns about this tannery landfill site in Pownat urost the Hoosic river from the tannery An uncapped manshyhote that could prove dangerous to chflshyltfrlaquon who enter the landfill is not secured
w 9
Ptotoiby GIUanJlaquowi North Adam frvncnpt
managers today she said Wve made several efforts to meet with Mrs Nicholas to address her concerns but she has not responded to us
White acknowledged that EPA officials bad said last fall that locks and signs would be installed and gales locked She said she did not know why mat hadnt happened but added that EPA representatives would be happy to work with Nicholas
Rick Leighton project managshyer for the tannery clean-up said when the EPA mobilizes to the site later this spring locks and signs win be installed
When we did removal of barshyrels from the tannery m the mid-
See TANNERY Page A7
RPR-0i-iyyy mrsHbtritm IU lt3 Jtik3-raquo 1O-i-twitxO r KJO
TANERY 1990s We boarded up the aaS and
locked t te gates and1 1 assume we id tht landfill too be md But asfasta wecanpuClocksand signs
~upgt they cow dowjn to a losing batde unless yon 9 uneoee1 actually on the
Atth ffltt shotgun ehefl casings were ft und on the gromd within te pe ete of tfafc landfill A path apbeered to have beenibeaten dovmbr foot anditcretfkxial vehishycle traffic In several areas of the landfilLa material resembling plasshy
__ tic is poking up through the ground and NkjboUa laquoaxi she thinks it may be parts from me liners insampDed in the 19ampOS when materials first
began to be stored there [This situation has never
worked Nicholas said An old electrometer is smashed
on i the ground with wmog still attached Nearby a rusted metal cylinder with an open-ended elbow-style pipe and a black spout stand beside a pole with wires conshynected to it There is a pool of what lodks like water nearly 20 feet long by 180 feet wide with no fencing around it or a sign to indkate what miy be contained in the water Tbe ground is saturated with water that Nicholas said may or may not be contaminated with toe material buried underneath the ground
My dog has run over here and rallied around jumped into the truck soaking wet and we have no idea what hes been into she said The neighbors with dogs and cats
have the same thing and people are in here an the time Why wouldnt they begt There is nothing here TO keep thecn OUT or warn them to stay out
Along the outside of the landfill are at least two metal cylinders sticking up from the ground The cylinders are wide enough for chilshydren to get their aims into but appear to have been made so they could be capped and locked Neither cylinder has a top on it and both are completely rusted
Nicholas said that in an effort to avoid the appearance of liability Vocal state and federal officials have neglected the aburters of the landfill
In their desire to avoid liability they have forgotten their responsishybility to the people here she said Now we know there is seepage
and who knows what and 1 dont dunk it would have killed anybody ngt knock on my door and tell me to warn my tenants about the landshyfffl
I dont want them to reopen this she said Look at what hasn t been done here No signs No leeks How much does a lock cost7
She said questions about the tan nery and storage and disposal of tannery waste was discussed at a tannery conference in 1982 and she produced documentation of the conference
People m 1982 asked about the different things happening what would be done and how would we know what happened she said Now we can look back and sagt nothing was done and we werent able to know
Few turn out for meeting on tannery problems TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Only a handful of people turned out last night for a meeting with US health officials about contaminashytion exposure from the former Pownal Tanning Co
Officials from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the US Departshyment of Health and Human Sershyvices are developing a health assessment of the former tannery complex in North Pownal in conshyjunction with a Superfund cleanup of the site
Agency regional representashytive Susanne Simon said she was a little disappointed by the low
Its our job to make sure communities know what were doing and
give people a chance to air their concerns
MARIA TERAN-MACIVER Community Involvement
Specialist
turnout but believed valid conshycerns and information had been-raised by the few residents who attended and through contacts she had made in town Select Board Chair Nelson Brownell and Health Officer James Gilbert said they thought people are simshyply relieved the tannery itself is finally being cleaned up
Simon has been to the area numerous times over the last few months introducing herself to residents Its good to be involved good to be concerned said Simon Many times resishydents raise issues the agency is unaware of she said helping to create a more accurate assessshyment
North Pownal resident Jerrold Lubeck whose home lies near a tannery lagoon was concerned about the long-term effects on the areas water and the dust that would be created during the demolition of the buildings for instance
The health assessment which will take about a year to compile will not be the last word on the issue Simon assured him With the cleanup of the lagoons still in the planning stage the agency would continue to collect data and reevaluate its analysis on an ongoing basis she said
Meetings such as last nights
allow residents to talk one- on-one to agency representatives about issues they may be reticent to bring up in an open meeting she said Information gleaned through discussing health issues goes both ways To add to data being compiled on the area and to educate people about possible health risks
A lot of calculating of exposhysure a determined by what we take in (information) said Simon
Education is a major part of the agencys work said Commushynity Involvement Specialist Maria Teran-Maclver If s our job to educate the community she said while working closely with local and state health offishycials
The agency works only in an advisory capacity said Teran-Maclver and does not have the funds or legal authority to do cleanups or provide medical care It does fund studies maintain a registry of exposure to hazardous dies bulleducate communities and health professionals on exposure and provides technical support to other agencies
The agency was created as part of the Environmental Protection Act and advises the EPA on hazshyardous waste sites The agency also provides assessments studshyies and educational programs to communities and responds to citshyizen -concerns^ about other areas she explained
Its our job to make sure comshymunities know what were doing and give people a chance to air their concerns said Teran-Maclver
The health assessment will include data collected by the agency the EPA and various local state and federal health information A rough draft will be available for public comment prior to a final draft said Simon
Residents woo have questions or concerns about possible exposhysure are encouraged to get in touch with Simon or Maclver Maclver can be reached by callshying toll-free 1-888-422-8737 Simon can be reached at 1-617shy918-1492 The agency website is w w w a t s d r c d c g o v -chttp www atsdr cdc govgt
Residents can also leave messhysages on the bulletin board at DJs Country Store in North Pownal
jelcsQtNATO airstrikes EvSfjthough the draft appeared to sigshy1 a victory for NATO President Clmshy
__n and other US officials reacted caushyiusly waiting for signs that Milosevic )uld begin pulling his troops out and ow the return of more than 855000
_JugeesIn the meantime NATOs bombing mpaign continued bull with airstrikes ported in Kosovo and elsewhere
__iursday nightThough cloaked in language meant to
action would continue until it was clear the plan was being implemented
We must be cautious until Serb forces begin a verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo he said
NATO jets roared over Belgrade even as Russian and European envoys wrapped up talks with Yugoslav leaders
Yugoslavia accepts the document for peace brought by the highest representa- lives of the European Union and Russhysia the official Tanjug news agency
said following talks between Milosevic
State Department spokesman
Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari repshyresenting the European Union
Milosevics Socialist Party said it supshyports the peace plan because it brings establishment of peace and a halt to the criminal b^mbjng^
But the mpYR effectively means the Yugoslav government capitulates on all major Western demands to end the Kososhy
keeping force bull the safe and fr
Albanian refugeespast months
bull substantial autlt The draft wouk
sevic weaker than sentatives rejected February and Mart
Then talk was security forcesn But the latest pe Yugoslav forces tc
Pownal may jeceive EPA jtudy grant
UIMY DANIELS -tf Writer PQWNALmdashPownal pay be one of the
~rst towns In line fora new grant initiative om the US Environmental Protection gencyThe Recycling Initiative Grant which
-is not been officially announced yet will ve towns up to $100000 to fund feasibilshy studies for potential reuse of Superfund es
mdashOur priority has been clean-ups Leslie fcVickars EPA remedial project manager
the Pownal Tanning Company told the lect Board Thursday night Now were
-ying to move forward and maximize our iministrative authority and jump-start se things A lot of the problem with recycling
-~ntaminated sites is the stigma attached to era -Nopufefic or private ratftyWanted deal with these siK3vsajd McVickars cause of contamination and liability conshy
_jusThe EPA is taping the new program jing piloted will help towns and property vners put the cleaned sites to productive t she said
_The tannery met ajl the criteria for the w grant and McVickars Volunteered it for e pilot program Only one or two sites bullm each of the 10 EPA regions are being
_J forward for consideration she said In addition to funding the EPA will also dljtate peer assistance from other munic-Jities that have found vay$ to reuse once andonedl^nd or aid with technical assisshy
nce from experts in the field she said The town could look at multi-use proshysals for the entire site or concentrate on particular parcel such as the lagoons
Tthin the complex saurMcVickars The ieVcould be used foftballfields tennis urts an industnaiLAQfK or municipal ildings she suggested^
- The EPA would rtojjpf fiis^itutional conshyol to ensure the area once cleaned and El
^ M u raquosped would not be reopened she said Ch ief Warrant OffteW Stan fcrover an Afjffljjtori ntttjn came front tollaquolaquowiMptork on 1 negt ou couldnt put in a building with a deep Bennlngton Community Park In his own Jormer backyiird The Park following It second^ -an)
-lar or put in wells she explained day of construction face a crlraquolraquo The needed volunteer have still not come out and con- he The sticking point may be the ownership structlon officials say If enough people do not come out by today parts of the park may be
cut although the fund to psy for them ire In place For more see stories on page 8 and 9 Please see EPA page 4 _t
EPA team cleans up in Pownal JAMES THERRIEN BANNER STAFF WRITER
POWNAL mdash An emergency waste removal team from the federal Environmental Protection Agency has set up shop at the former Pownal Tanning Co site and will perform testing and remove hazardous materials from the closed factory
Team supervisor Lisa Danek said a waste testing and removal firm hired by the EPA will be at the site for one to two months removing barrels of potentially hazardous material and testing for the presence of asbestos PCBs and other materials
Funding for the work will come from federal Superfund allocations Danek said The project has an estimated budget of $250000 to cover the site work on-site and laboratory testing removal and disposal of hazardous materials and related work
She said the federal governshyment might later seek reimshybursement for the work from parties determined to be responshysible for the hazardous waste such as principals in the bankshyrupt tannery business
Danek said funding for the current project will not come from $370000 the State of Vermont was awarded in a court settlement announced in Janushyary stemming from a suit the state Attorney Generals office brought against tannery officers over waste cleanup costs That money is earmarked for future testing of tannery dumping lashygoons and a nearby landfill well water testing and cleanup work relating to any river groundwashyter or similar contamination that might be found
Work on determining the exshytent of such environmental damage and how it should be dealt with is slated to begin in earnest this year under the dishyrection of another EPA office That work will lead to a detershymination of whether the North Pownal site should be placed on a national waste cleanup prioritylist
Danek said her team focuses instead on immediate cleanup problems found at a waste site
UM Danek I MipervUJng an EPA emergency waste removal team at the former Pownal Tanning Co alt The team will be testing for and removing hazardous material from the atte
such as removal of barrels of hazardous materials As an exshyample she said the contractor OHM Corporation Environmenshytal Services of Hopkinton Mass will test any materials found in the vacant factory in a special equipment trailer that has been set up next to an office trailer at the site
Further testing of the materials will also be performed at laboshyratories Danek said and a deshytermination will be made on how to dispose of the wastes and where The wastes in the several barrels which appear to be reshylated to the tanning process will eventually be sent to a hazardous waste landfill she said
The equipment trailer contains protection gear respirators showers for use after crew members work with the wastes and similar features The EPA also may rent other equipment as needed the supervisor said and might hire local contractors for certain work
In addition to waste in barrels and other containers the crew will test and dispose of what
appears to be loose asbestos in piles in the plant Danek said Thirteen turbines at the plants electricity generation facility will be tested for the presence of PCBs once used as in lubricants but now banned as a carcinogen
The facility is at the mill dam near the south end of the ramshybling brick and concrete block structure which began as a texshytile mill and was converted to a tannery some three decades ago Wastes at the property which is on the bank or the Hoosac River are associated with tanshyning process
The half-dozen members of the EPA crew also will investi- s gate whether a hazard exists at the five lagoon areas where there is evidence of trespassing bull Danek said A determination will l| be made on whether to fence off the three currently unfenced goons
Danek said the EPA gency response team was quested after the federal agency] was notified of the presence oti the barrels and other matenaBjg by the Vermont Agency ural Resources
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebe al99-07-24_pownaltannery724b2as]
Thlaquo Berkshire Eagle Local Todays Headlines )
Vlslt Alaska
Pownal to receive $100000 for tannery site evaluation
Saturday July 24 1999
By Erik Arvidson
Berkshire Eagle Staff
POWNAL Vt mdash The US Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the town will receive up to $100000 to plan for the redevelopment of the contaminated former Pownal Tanning Co site off Route 346
The funds will pay for an assessment by the town of possible reuse plans for the 28-acre tannery site which is listed on the EPAs National Priorities List of Superfund waste sites officials said
The announcement comes as EPA engineers have started removing asbestos and decontaminating the tannery mill complex in preparation for having the structures demolished later this summer
Pownal is one of 10 communities in the country receiving planning assistance grants totaling $1 million under the Superfund program agency officials said
The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town said Selectmen Chairman Nelson Brownell
Meanwhile the $8 million initial cleanup phase of the tannery site has been underway for several weeks and officials expect demolition work to begin the second week of August according to Richard T Leighton EPAs remediation construction manager
Workers are stripping roofing material containing asbestos as well as parts of a boiler and pipes also containing asbestos Leighton said
Contaminated material in the floors and on fixtures in the northern portion of the mill complex is also being removed Leighton said
Workers wearing protective suits are also overpacking between 50 and 60 55-gallon drums the majority being empty but some containing an unknown material that is potentially hazardous Leighton said
Fluorescent lights containing mercury vapors which may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are also being removed according to Leighton
The whole idea is to essentially allow us when we take the building down to take the material off as construction debris to a landfill Leighton said
According to Leighton concerns about the historic value of the old mill prompted the EPA to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Vermont Historic Preservation Commission
The National Historic Preservation Act implies that if you take an adverse action on something eligible for the historic register you have to take steps to mitigate that adverse action Leighton said
ol 2 8299221 PI
idnnery site evaluation httpsearchnewschoicecomnebeaJ99-07-24_pownaltannery724b
The EPA has agreed to hire a historic preservation consultant to photodocument both the interior and exterior of the mill before it is demolished The consultant will evaluate the mills activities in the complex and related activities and put it in the context of other activities in the state of Vermont Not just the building but the building in its proper context with the community Leighton said
Concurrent with the demolition the on-site andfill which contains contaminated sludge and soil will be studied for an eventual capping later this year Leighton said
The cap which the tanning company installed before it went bankrupt a decade ago is unfinished allowing rainwater to seep through the contaminants in the landfill and into the ground below As part of the long-term remediation of the site the groundwater and the heavily contaminated lagoon system near the mill will be studied Leighton said
The lagoon system where wastes were dump to allow solids to settle is expected to be the target of a subsequent cleanup effort
Classifieds Please check out our featured fink(s) above
copy 1998 by MediaNews Group Inc and Pittsfield Publications Inc
8299 7-71 rgt
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3UL 28 1399 NEWENGLANDNEWSCUPAGENCY MC
Vermont tannery receives grant POWNAL Vt (AP) mdash Pownal has received $100000 from
the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses for a contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the FPAs Superfund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and the nearby Hoosick River The company declared bankruptcy and closed down in 1988
The 19th-century mill and its hydroelectric plant have sat idle since then
In March the EPA approved an $8 million plan to clean the tannerys grounds decontaminating some buildings and demolshyishing others Contaminated soils and sludge under the building will be excavated and disposed of in a landfill at the tannery
Town officials in Pownal dont yet have plans for the site though they have discussed the possibility of using it as a river recreational area or a light industry zone
We are very happy to be one of EPAs pilot communities said Pownal Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97000 we applied for will help us plan for this communitys future and will help facilitate redevelopment of the site which will bring tax dollars back into this town
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT DAILY 11500
MONDAY JUL 26 1999
U mm
Pownal Receives Environmental Grant BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
POWNAL Vt mdash Pownal fas jeceived SlOOOOO from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study new uses fora contaminated tannery site
Now town officials will study ways to reclaim the 28-acre Pownal Tanning Co which was added to the EPAs Supertund list earlier this year
EPA officials said Pownal is the first town in New England to receive one of the EPAs planning grants which are designed to help areas find new uses for Superfund sites
Its a really exciting time to be on the select board of Pownal especially with all the positive work going on at the tannery said select board member Laura Rosse Were really thankful to be part of the EPAs pilot program
The Pownal Tannery was added to the EPAs list of National Priorities better known as the Superfund list on Jan 11
From 1937 to its closure in 1988 the tannery specialized in chrome tanning of sheepskins Waste products including toxic metals and dioxins were discharged into open lagoons near the building and
Vthe nearby Hoosick River The company j
declared bankruptcy and closed down in decontaminating some buildings and deshy1988 molishing others Contaminated soils and
The 19th-century mill and its hydro- sludge under the building will be excavatshyelectric plant have sat idle since then ed and disposed of in a landfill at the tan-
In March the EPA approved an S8 mil- nery lion plan to clean the tannerys grounds
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Tannery to get $100 000 grant First EPAfunding of its kind in tfE TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writtr
POWNAL - Pov nal became (he first town in New England to receive S 100000 planning grant from ilic US Environmental | lection Agency Friday
The money will iclp (he town turn the contaminated 28-acre Pownal Tan ing Co site into something producshylive
The long-idle tanhery was named a Superfund sitein January and was nominated for the new grant last month The EPAs Superfund Redevelopment Initiative is designed to aid areas in finding new uses for Superfund sites
No firms plans have been made for the North Pownal tannery vile though Its use as a river recreational area or a light industry zone Has been discussed
The old tannery net all the criteria for the federal inishytiative said Leslie HcVickars EPA project manager for (he tannery clean-up Only one or two sites in each of the 10 EPA regions wen nominated for the pilot program she said
We are very hap iy to be one of EPAs pilol communishyties said Pown I Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell The $97 000 we applied for will help us plan for (his community future and wjirhclp facilitate redeshy
Pltose raquocc TANNERY fuse 4A
i
begins cleanup ai tannery f ru mr A T C _ uiraquo bull w bull V H-il I v Wi Federal monies obtained forredevelopment of Pownal site
jiii YH iMtiy bullraquo fcraquoW 4telaquoW4
bull3NEW5ClJpAGBCr INC
By Michael J Card _ Trucks and tractors lead the bustle of activshy
y at the former Pownal Tannery in North ownal Vu pan of an effort to complete the rst phase of an $8 million Superfund project
_iat will decontaminate the area of toxic ma-rials before razing the buildings on the site And last Friday prospects got even belter
XT the Superfund site when the US Envishy-mmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed
ownal as one of 10 Superf uncTsiies nationshy bullide that will receive $100000 in planning isislance funds to study potential reuse opshy
-ominilies for the site Leslie Me Vickar at the EPA office in Bosshyn sijamp the redevelopment investigation iided through a new program called the
-iperfund Redevelopment Initiative will Jgin this fall with the hiring of a consultant it that much of the input should come from cal residents as the Boston-based agency
only make a generic recommenda-
MI about what would be best for North gtwnal In a recent press release Pownal Select oard Chairman Nelson Brownell said of the bulldevelopment project Its exciting to be ivolved with this pilot program We have tade good progress with reuse of gasolineshyjnianunated sites herein Vermont but former lanufacturing facilities like the Pownal Tanshyery have proved to be a bigger challenge uccessful reuse of the tannery will provide n excellent model for future projects both in ermont and nationwide Other changes have occurred since the
leanup plan was released and approved this ast March Originally it was thought that bullnly the northern building was to be demolshyshed but Me Vickar said yesterday they found iiat all buildings are considered structurally rtsound and will be torn down as well
Rick Lcighton EPAs remediation con-
V 1 bull bull bdquo
sanction manager who has been on the site for the past week coordinating the cleanup confirmed that the three main buildings - the north central and block buildings - will be demolished this fall but two smaller buildings adjacent to the property the screen building and the lagoon building will be demolished if money is available If not done this year Leighton says they are still on the list of priorities in the
projectAnother part of the project that got moved back into a less
serious categorymdashtherefore to be delayed until a later phase of the projectmdashb the removal of sludges in the nearby lagoon area which was used as a leachate for the former tannerys
wastewaterThe project has been in the planning phase for years and
Leighton said the people of Pownal have been Very patient in wailing to get this eyesore off their map
The tannery which was used from 1937 to 1988 asa tanning operation for cowhide and sheephide before 1962 disposed of all its wastewater directly into the Hoosic River which runs along the south sideof the building In 1962 the tannery began to process its wastewater by disposing it in a series of setting lagoons where the water would presumably separate from hazardous materials before trickling back into the river The contaminated sludge that resulted from this process was eventually disposed of in an on-site landfill which was
constructed in 1982 After 1988 when the tannery owners filed bankruptcy the
buildings sat unused By 1993 the EPA had visited the site and completed a Preliminary AssessmentSite Investigation and approved a Time-Critical Removal Action which allowed it to remove some 13000 pounds of contaminated sludge from the lagoon system
By 199S the EPA had gone through and collected samples of groundwater soil sediment surface water and leachate samples It found dangerously high concentrations of several metals dioxins and semi-volatile compounds These include arsenic (over 40 times the legal amount in parts per million) lead (12 times as much) benzopyrene (180 limes) benzo(b)flouranthene (25 times) dioxins (12 times) and
bull benzo(k)anthracene (25 times) to name a few At this point most of the materials that could be disposed
of easily have been removed The works been going on here v for several months already Were near the end of ihe prelimishy
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
D A I L Y 8000 Pownal Board not M O N D A Y
APR 10 2000 quite prime time
C
f-lf
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer cv
POWNALmdash Pownal residents will finally get a chance to see their elected officials in action But only those who know how to set their VCRs mdash or those with insomnia mdash can catch the broadshycast
Thats because last Thursday nights meeting of the Select Board will be shown at 3 am Tuesday morning
Not exactly prime time But viewership should improve once the new show goes live and gets a better slot along with established hits like the Bennington and Shaftsbury Select Board meetshyings
For at least the next month though the taped board meetings will be trapped in the late-night netherworld of infomercials and psychics
Select Board members decided to fast track the CAT-TV broadshycasts after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot article to broadshycast the meetings mdash and the funds to do it mdash at March Town Meeting The article gave the board until May 4
Adelphia Cable will hook up the town offices to allow live
in the near future Several Select Board members
said they were a little leery of appearing on camera
But any self-consciousness disappeared quickly Thursday night as board members got down to business ignoring the camera and microphones set up along the long table they use Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell did admit to a haircut before the first broadcast though
So for those who still have that blinking 1200 on their VCRs the Select Board approved a bid of $8000 to complete shell construction of a town garage and made appointments to town offices
Bill Hayes was reappointed forest warden and Dave Thomas and Anson Mason were reapshypointed to the Zoning Board Forshymer Select Board member Henry Strohmaier was named to the Planning Commission Maude Dickinson and Judy Greenawalt were named town health agents Dorothy Kimball E-911 coordishynator Casey Mattison Nelson Brownell and Alan Strobridge fence viewers Sheri Carter JoAnne Miller and Tina Duval town recreation board Craig Odell emergency management coordinator Joel Burrington Sr sign administrator Amy Moore and Stefan Strohmaier Benningshyton County Regional Commis-MOII representatives ami David Deuce Sr inspector of shinglesshy
Nine residents were named to the reuse assessment steering committee mdash Justin Taylor Linda Leonard Linda and Jay Sciarrapa Jon Peaslee Don Prouty Gerry Lubeck Alan Stroshybridge and Cindy Brownell mdash to plan a new use for the former Pownal Tanning Co property
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the town a S100000 grant as part of a pilot program to aid municipalities in developing former Superfund sites The EPA is entering the secshyond phase of the estimated $20
i million clean-up of the polluted Nonh Pimiui aren
CALEDONIAN-RECORD ST JOHNSBURY VT D AILY 11500
TUESDAY JUN 6 2000
Pownal reviews conceptual wastewater system plans
TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer Epft
POWNAL mdash Town officials were given the conceptual plans last week for a state of the art wastewater system in North Powshynal
The treatment facility for the estimated $13 million system would include some of the newest technologies and will be built to allow expansion said Don Phillips a consulting engineer with Forcier and Aldrich Associshyates the company planning the town system
I feel really good about the location and the size he said This site will last the town of Pownal 100 years
The proposed location for the plant is where the former Pownal Tanning Companys lagoons now exist between Route 346 and the Hoosic River It would be situatshyed by a bend in the river freeing up more acreage at the site for uhor uses said Phillips
The lagoons used to leach and contain toxic materials used by the defunct tannery will be part of the Superfund clean-up of the site The Environmental Protecshytion Agency^ tore down and trucked away the tannery buildshying in North Pownal last year
The EPA is presently doing tests at the lagoons in preparation for that phase of the clean-up
A sewer committee made up of town residents chose the site to dovetail with the EPAs ongoshying operations and the work of a tannery reuse assessment comshymittee thats funded by an EPA grant The sewer committees
_ work and p lanning hy Forcier
and Aldrich is funded by a $150000 bond voters passed last year
Nearly 90 percent of the fundshying for the system should come from state and federal grants said Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Town officials plan to aggressively pursue other fundshying options as well said Brownell Were trying to come as close as possible to the actual cost
It would be up to voters to
approve a final plan and cost for the proposed wastewater system
The central facility will handle wastewater from the densely popshyulated areas of the town north south and central Pownal
The town is presently tnidei orders by Vermonts Agency of Natural Resources to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Hoosic River in North Pownal Individual septic systems in sevshyeral areas of the town have been tailing as well
The central facility for the sysshytem would include offices storshyace and waste treatment areas It would also take advantage of new forms of composting turning solid wastes into clean mulch for landscaping use Liquid
waste once its been filtered of phosphates and bacteria will disshycharge into the Hoosic River
To get a better grasp of the conceptual plans town officials are planning a day-long tour of some of the newer and refurshybished wastewater facilities in the state including Wilmington and Plainfield
The bus tour is planned for Satshyurday June 24 Any town resident wishing to join the Select Board and committee members on the tour should contact Linda Sciashyrappa at the town office weekshydays after 1230 pm Enough space is available for a limited number of citizens Preference will be given to North Pownal residents
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000
THURSDAY JUN 22 2000
NEWENGLANONEWSClfAGENCY tvc
Tannery clean-up nears completion TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
NORTH POWNAL - The Superfund clean-up of the Powshynal Tanning Co complex is almost complete
The building a polluted eyeshysore for many years was torn down last year by the Environshymental Protection Agency Parts of the facility were trucked away and other detritus from the demolition sealed into the refurbished tannery landfill across the river
Were not leaving it in a park condition but as close as possible said EPA Project Manager Leslie McVickars We are leaving it in a clean condition
The narrow footprint of the former building lies between Route 346 and the Hoosic River A grassy slope__ will extend from the old set of railshylOdci tracics on the property down to the river and an access road will be built into the site The (racks will be left in place said McVickars
The site will be loamed and seeded with grass this fall
A handrail of pipe and wood will be installed for safety along the water
To the south a deteriorating concrete wall will be replaced by a stony slope The present chain link fence separating the property from the still-used Guilford railroad tracks will be removed from the northern end of the property At the south end of the site the fence ill he left
in place because of steep drop to the tracks below
Samples are still being taken around the area including behind the dam at the south end of the property The results are expected in July
The tannery warehouse on Route 346 which is still being used may have hot spots that will have to be dealt with said McVickars Hides were stored under the building at some point and that could have caused contamination she said
The hydroelectric plant and the dam over the river will stay The plant is part of a 6 acre parcel owned outright by Conshynecticut businessman Jan Exman who also holds the mortgage on the tannery propshyerty
The plant is in poor condition and hasnt operated in years said McVjci bullbullbull R i i the agcic is not planning on dealing with either the plant or the dam she said
A iruirkei documenting the history of the tannery including its role in the changing of child labor laws in the United States will be installed as part of a deal struck with Vermont Hisshytorical Society The tannery was considered an important historishycal building but its condition precluded attempts at preservashytion
Instead the building was thoroughly documented inside and out by the state and the EPA so its pan in the history of the stitc w nnl he forgotten
ADAMS TRANSCRIPT NORTH ADAMS MA Pownal officials and EPA DAILY 638
MONDAY JUN 26 2000 wrestle withdeanup of con
fiunmy Daniels iemaeton Banner taminated tannery lagoons
NORTH POWNAL VL - The ite is a lush wilderness Birds weep through the trees bullfrogs gteDow forth from ponds thick with attafls Tb the west runs the fast-flowing Hoosic Riven
A visitor might believe the area is untouched wetlands or even a wildlife preserve But a locked gate tigraquomiragfts entry and signs warn the casual walker away
Underneath (he ponds lurks a stew of chemicals and heavy metshyals waste from thedefunct Pownal fanning Company
Theres chromium and insectishycides like DDT said Leslie McVickars waving her hand toward a small lagoon last week
McVickars project manager for the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfimd cleanup of the site led a citizens committee researching the reuse of die site and engineers for die project on a walking tour of the area
Theres a roster of contaminates in the multiple lagoons that lie between die railway and die river just north of die now-demolished tannery complex
Its primarily heavy metals and ow levels of dioxin said McVickars
The good news is that there appears to be a layer of clay under tne sludge in several lagoons The clay would minimize seepage into die ground underneath and make removal of die sludge easier she said
Private wells in die area navent shown any evidence of contaminashytion said McVickars
The lagoons were created in die 1970s to contain die chemical waste sludge from die tanning of hides But that early attempt in environmental conservatism creatshyed its own host of problems
The detritus of an old pump-house in die back of one lagoon is a chilling reminder of die poorly thought-out solution to die compashy
nys compliance wrtfi newly passed regulations of the period
When water in die lagoon reached a certain level it was simshyply pumped straight into the nearshyby rivei said McVickars
The EPA is presently studying die site in preparation of work on die lagoons die next phase in the Superfimd cleanup of the tannery
How die EPA deals with the lagoons wfll parfly depend on what die town wants to do with die site
The federal agency is working closely wim a re-use assessment steering committee made up of citshyizens and Pownal select board members The town received a grant through the EPA one of die first of its kind in the nation to aide in utilizing die scenic but polluted acres
That project in turn is tied into another town initiative mdash die conshystruction of a wastewater treatshyment plant to eliminate waste from North Pownal now flowing into die river and ease die strain on failing septic systems in the densest areas of die town
The tannery lagoons are die optishymum site for die treatment plant leaving plenty of room for other uses such as recreational areas or a combination of recreation and commercial uses say town leaders
But in creating the toxic ponds die tannery also created a wetland that now has to be protected said McVickars That means if one or more of die lagoons is eliminated it will have to be recreated elseshywhere
A preliminary survey shows a number of residents are interested in trails by die river and possibly a boat launch said Alison Church an engineer with Greenman-Pederson Inc of Albany NY and planner for
die reuse committee They want to keep it low key Others have expressed interest
in open fields for athletics painted out Don Prouty a member of die committee
Qiurch said there could be some flexibility in dealing wim die wetshylands depending on what die state deems necessary
That means by die end of die year state and federal agencies and the town will have to try to combine different needs mdash a wastewater facility wetlands protection envishyronmental restoration and commushynity desiresmdashinto a unified vision
The final result could be several years away warned McVickars But she said tiieres a lot we can do to get it (die lagoons) intoa posshyitive condition where you can do what you need to We want to hear from you
The reuse assessment committee also wants plenty of input from town residents
A public meeting to discuss posshysible uses of die lagoon area is scheduled for July 12 at 7 pm at die North Pownal fire house Representatives from die EPA will be on hand as well
BENNINGTON BANNER BENNINGTON VT
DAILY 8000_
THURSDAY JUL 13 2000 Recreational uses top the list
HEWEHGLAHDtfWSCLpAGB on survey for Pownal Tannery TAMMY DANIELS Staff Writer
BENNINGTON mdash Recreshyational facilities are at the top of the list of possible uses of the forshymer Pownal Tanning Co site according to a preliminary survey by the towns reuse assessment steering committee
Alison Church planner for the project and engineer with Green-man-Pederson Inc explained the results to more than 30 townspeoshyple at a public hearing Wednesshyday night
Nearly 1000 surveys listing possible uses for the tannery were sent out through the elementary and middle school mailed or picked up at DJs Country Store
Fewer than 200 people responded to the survey some through telephone interviews A little more than 100 surveys came back out of 900 passed through the schools The surveys werent ready until the last week of school and that probably accounted for the poor response said Church
But those residents who did respond put boating canoeing fishing and walking areas as their top choices for the tannery That was followed closely by trails for skiing and biking picnic areas and lawn games and an ice skatshying rink
Of the 78 adults who completshyed the surveys lawn and picnickshying areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted for the higher-activity options including the ice rink
Other options on the list included municipal services including the planned wastewater plant commercial industrial
Adults who completed the surveys opted lawn and picnicking areas came out on top said Church The towns children opted (or the higher-activity options
including the ice rink
educational and housing possibilshyities
The tannery including the lagoons wetlands created by the company to contain run off from the tanning process is now undergoing a Superfund clean-up under the direction of the Envishyronmental Protection Ajjejocjk The wetlands could be a sticking point for any reuse project and the town and state are in ongoing discussions about their future said Church
The agency gave the town a $100000 grant this year to explore reuse options at the site part of a new program to encourshyage putting Superfund areas back into community use
The EPA will bring the site back up to the present standards in North Pownal which is mostly zoned residential but a lot depends on which direction the town wants to move forward said Leslie McVickar EPA proshyject manager
Right now the town doesnt have a lot of specific locations zoned for industrial use explained Select Board Chairman Nelson Brownell Instead a conshyditional use permit is used giving the community more leeway in deciding how to use the area and more voice in how to use it he said
If you go through conditional use people can come in to hearshy
ings and restrictions can be put in he said
The wastewater treatment plant while not getting a lot votes on the survey is still being planned with the tannery in mind
The state of the art facility would use minimal space and shouldnt interfere with recreshyational uses
A tour of similar plants in Vershymont turned up several towns that put recreation and wastewater facilities side by side including Montpelier said Brownell s bull
I think it was very infonna- tive said Pownalite Penelope Fehr of the meeting But 4he consultants didnt get asjjnnch input as they wanted v^sVtjiv
One woman complained-that^ the committee hadnt ddne shyenough to reach more people in the town especially those with no children in the schools
Church and Russell Ryan an engineer with Forcier Aldrich and Associates said the survey was just preliminary and more extenshysive outreach in the town would be done
We need that input we really do to make the right decisions said Brownell
The meeting will be broadcast tonight on CAT-TV at 730 pm
Two more public meetings including one on Aug 30rwill be held before a final decision on the site is made
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te
TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE Lead is found WORCESTER MA
DAILY 113000
TUESDAY JUL 18 2000 at Fishenllle
By DanDe Leo TELEGRAM amp GAZETTE STAFF
GRAFTON mdash In a minor setshyback at the Fisherville Mill site officials have now found lead contamination there and must await testing before continuing the cleanup
According to David J Dunshyham the executive director of the Central Massachusetts Ecoshynomic Development Authority the agency that owns the site Environmental Protection Agency officials detected the lead in the ash there about a week ago
Its not screaming high levshyels of lead but its there said Mr Dunham
The Aug 3 fire reduced the old textile mill to a jumble of bricks and tangle of metal and granite Crews working for the state Deshypartment of Environmental Protection and EPA have been on the site performing the inishytial stage of the cleanup
While testing material at the site EPA officials discovered a minimal concentration of lead within tho ash Mr Dunham said about 575 parts per milshylion The states acceptable standard is 50 parts per million he said The lead is likely the remnant of lead paint used at the mill EXCEEDED LIMIT
EPA officials are continuing to test the ash he said because one pile was found to contain an acceptable concentration of lead while another exceeded that limit Therefore it is not clear yet whethera lead cleanup will be needed
If so however removal of the lead will neither be costly nor complicated Mr Dunham said
It shouldnt make a signifishycant difference he said
The lead contaminants can be disposed of in one of two ways he said The material can be treated with a cement slurry which removes the leaching characteristics of the lead and then hauled away at about $60 to $70 per ton Or it can be removed
6This is an obligation that needs to be
carried forward9
DAVID J DUNHAM CMEDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
at about twice that cost per ton without any treatment he said
He said it is not clear how many tons of lead-contaminated material there are but that it is not a large quantity
The discovery is a small setshyback following the successful first phase of the cleanup The EPA has finished removing asshybestos-contaminated material from one corner of the site The front portion ofthe sitenqw ap pears mostly clear with one large pile of rusted metal that will likely be sold as scrap Mr Dunham said FINANCIAL CHALLENGE
The DEP takes over the next phase which will entail devisshying a plan to treat the ground which is contaminated with trishychloroethylene an organic polshylutant
The task at hand is to detershymine the extent ofthe plume of that pollution Mr Dunham said
Though the cleanup has been moving along smoothly CMEDA faces some uncertainshyty The agency which has been overseeing the cleanup is nearshyly out of funding Mr Dunham said CMEDA has previously operated on funds generated from project revenue and grants but is now seeking state funding to continue operation Mr Dunham said There are two bills under consideration in the Legislature that would create funding for the organization he said
Were in a transition stage but were trying to find ways to keep work going on at the site he said This is an obligation that needs to be carried forshyward
ADVOCATE-NORTH W I L L I A laquo S T O raquo M HA
WEEKLY 21200
JUL 19 2000
YHC
MICHAEL J CARD
Excavators from Maxymlllian contractors dean up the Pownal Tannery building last (all as part of the Superfund project With the buildings razed the town must consider how to best use the property which is located in the center of North Pownal VL along Route 346 bull
Pownal looking to potential uses for the former Tannery site
By Michael J Card With the major cleanup efforts completed
at the site of the former Pownal Tannery in North Pownal Vt EPA and town officials are looking forward to potential uses for the site They held a meeting last week to get input from citizens about what uses they would like to see for the recuperating site
The Pownal Tannery stood on the northeast bank of the Hoosic River The site includes a lagoon area a dam once used for hydroelecshytric power easy access to Boston amp Maine Railway tracks and a level area where the buildings once stood
-
Select board members have already been eyeing the property to establish a Vastewater treatment center for parts of the town At a recent tour they found new treatment facility technology that eliminates space and smell which could mean the site-would-be-able to support a multiple use The town received a $ 100000 grant under a new EPA program to investigate potential uses for the site
At the meeting the overwhelming response was to clean up the property and use- it for recreational use including acanoe launch or picnic areas Citizens would like an area for public use although some expressed interest in finding business or industry to locate there
The initial phase of the cleanup project ended this spring the EPA will continue to monitor the site and may have to address hazardous materials trapped in the lagoon area
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